Born in Tanzania in 1966, Fiona Richardson migrated to Australia with her parents and two older brothers in 1969.

Educated at St Thomas’ Primary School, Blackburn, and Methodist Ladies College, Fiona completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Melbourne University majoring in Politics and Psychology in 1988.
In 1989 she completed an Honours degree in Politics after being awarded a University scholarship.
After a year assisting in the research of ocular trauma at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital, Fiona travelled to the UK to live and work. Arriving back in Australia in 1994, Fiona worked for the VACC.
From 1996 Fiona has worked as an Electorate Officer and Adviser for a number of State and Federal MPs including Mary Gillett, Julia Gillard, Gareth Evens, Martin Ferguson, Stephen Conroy and John Lenders. She has been a member of the Labor Party since 1991.

Fiona was elected as the MLA for Northcote in November 2006 and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education in December 2006
Fiona’s interests include photography, bushwalking and reading. She is a member of the Australian Services Union, World Vision, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, Bicycle Victoria, The RSL and, formerly, the Melbourne University Regiment of the Army Reserve.

Fiona is married with two children, Marcus aged 3 and Catherine aged 23 months.