Dianne Thorley was first elected Mayor of Toowoomba on 25 March 2000. Elected to Toowoomba City Council as a Councillor in 1997, and again in 2000 and 2004 as Mayor, Dianne Thorley brings a wealth of practical experience to her position.

Born and raised in Stanthorpe, Dianne Thorley moved to Brisbane, where she formally trained as a nurse at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. She pursued a variety of careers and business endeavours throughout Australia, before moving to Toowoomba in 1986.

Dianne Thorley has made an impact in Toowoomba through her catering enterprise, and as organiser of successful craft markets in the city. Cr Thorley is committed to the betterment of her community, particularly social issues and those concerning youth.

Cr Thorley is the treasurer of the Toowoomba Sports Ground Trust. In this role she is the first woman to be elected to the Board of the Trust in 110 years.

In her term as Councillor, Dianne Thorley served on community committees including Environmental Advisory Committee, the joint Aboriginal and Government Departments Consulting Group, City Safe, Privet Eradication Strategy Working Party, Access Advisory Committee, SEQROC Technical Working Party for Environmental Health, YACCA, Vision 2000 and the P.R.A.Q and Public Services Advisory Group.

A commitment to appropriate management strategies ensuring the conservation of Gowrie Creek is another area of particular interest to Cr Thorley. Besides protecting the creek environment, she is also committed to the beautification of the Gowrie Creek corridor to make it a safe, pleasant recreation area for the community.

Dianne Thorley is the mother of three children - a daughter and two sons. When there is time in her busy schedule, she enjoys reading, gardening and spending time with her family.