|
Women
in Parliament
|
Fountain in the
Foyer.
In 1880-1891 the Premier Sir Henry Parkes introduced a bill to let
women into Parliament and to vote for people in Parliament. The law was
defeated. In 1900 and 1901 a bill was made to give women the right to
vote and the Legislative Assembly passed the law but was then defeated
by the Legislative Council. In 1902 it was finally passed and women
finally were allowed to vote.
The first woman elected into the Legislative Assembly was Millicent
Preston-Stanley from the Nationalist Party from 1925-1927. She argued
for improvements to women during childbirth, child welfare, mental
illness reform and rights of women during divorce.
Catherine Green was the first female elected to the Legislative Council
in 1931 followed two days later by Ellen Webster both members of Jack
Lang's Labor Party. Green left in 1932 and Webster in 1934. It was not
until 1952 that Gertrude Melville was the next female elected into the
Legislative Assembly.
In the present Parliament (53rd - 2003) there are 13
women out of 42 members in the Legislative Council. There are 13 out of
42 women in the Legislative Council and 23
out of 93 members of the Legislative Assembly are women.
Different states gave women the right to vote at different times.
State
|
Right to Vote
|
Right to Stand
|
First
Woman Elected |
| South
Australia |
1894
|
1894 |
1959 |
| Western
Australia |
1899 |
1920 |
1921 |
| New
South Wales |
1902 |
1918 (LA) |
1925 |
| Tasmania |
1903 |
1921 |
1948 |
| Queensland |
1905 |
1918 |
1929 |
| Victoria |
1908 |
1923 |
1933 |
| Commonwealth |
1902 |
1902 |
1921 |