Having moved to Australia she joined the Labor Party in 1965, and became union director of the Prahran College of Advanced Education from 1974 to 1980.
McLean had a prominent and sometimes controversial career as a politician and as an activist in support of a broad range of high profile public causes.
Jean came to public notice as convenor of the Save our Sons Movement, which from 1965 to 1973 campaigned against conscription and Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War.
As an active member of the ALP she immersed herself in a range of international causes, including those of Namibia, West Papua and most notably East Timor.
[2] Victoria University established the Jean McLean Oration in 2021 in recognition of the "significant contribution she has made to public life, in particular to Timor-Leste".