Karin Nicole Sowada (born 1 November 1961) is an Australian archaeologist and former politician. She served two years as an Australian Democrats senator for New South Wales between 1991 and 1993. In 1998, she was a republican delegate to the Constitutional Convention. From 1996–2005, she was the assistant curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. From 2008–2015, she was Chief Executive Officer of the Anglican Deaconess Institution Sydney. Early life and education Sowada was born in Sydney in November 1961, the first of three children to Valentin and Helen Sowada. Her father was a photographer whose picture "The Rigger" was published by the Sydney Morning Herald in 1965. She went to Bronte Public School and Randwick North High School and started her working life as a strapper in the thoroughbred horse racing industry. She briefly worked as an insurance broker before commencing studies at the University of Sydney. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in archaeology in 1989. Political career In 1982, Sowada joined the Australian Democrats. She stood for public office the following year at the age of 21, when she was selected as the Democrat candidate for the House of Representatives seat of Phillip at the 1983 election, polling 2.8% of the vote.(See Electoral results for the Division of Phillip#Elections in the 1980s) She was again the Democrat candidate when then Prime Minister Bob Hawke called a double dissolution election in 1984, and improved her vote, gaining 5.5%. Sowada made a final bid for the seat at the 1987 election. The Democrats were polling well federally at the time, and her campaign received some media attention, resulting in her polling 6.8% of the vote, which gained her some attention within the party in advance of her 1990 Senate bid. Sowada served as the Democrat campaign manager for the 1988 NSW State election and the 1990 federal election. An investigation was held into irregularities in campaign funding at the time, but Sowada was not involved and initiated legal action against media organisations who suggested otherwise at the time. Sowada then shifted her attention to the Senate, and gained second place on the Democrat New South Wales Senate ticket for the 1990 election, behind Vicki Bourne. In 1991, Paul McLean resigned from the Senate after leader Janet Powell was replaced by John Coulter. Sowada was nominated by the party to fill the casual vacancy and was