HerStory

Edith Dircksey COWAN
Also known as: née Brown
Born: 2 August 1861
Died: 9 June 1932
Special Achievements:An early pioneer for women and children's rights, she became the first woman member of any Australian Parliament; when aged 60, she won the seat of West Perth, taking her place in the Western Australian Parliament's Legislative Assembly in 1921. Today she is the female face on Australia's $50 note.
1915 - One of first women justices for the Western Australia's Children's Court.
1920 - Awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Red Cross, the Soldiers' Welcome Committee, The Soldiers' Institute, Voluntary Aid Society and for Rights of Returned Soldiers.
1921 - First woman to be elected into an Australian Parliament - Western Australia Legislative Assembly, “as a member of the Nationalist Party, becoming Australia's first female parliamentarian”.
She was also the first woman to be elected to a British legislature anywhere in the world.
2001 - Inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
Additional Information:Foundation Member of the Children's Protection Society.
1894 - "One of the founding members of the Karrakatta Club, a women's literary circle intended to be an influential 'centre of opinion'.” She was the first secretary and later was vice-president and president.
late 1890s - She “began to be elected to the Boards of public entities, such as the Cottosloe Education Board and the Women's Service Guild.”
1906 - Founding member of “the Children's Protection Society, whose lobbying resulted in the creation of the Children's Court the following year.”
1909 - Co-founder of the Women's Service Guild.
1911 - Instrumental in establishing a state branch of the National Council of Women.
ca 1916 - Founding member “in the creation of the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, and became a member of its advisory board when it opened.”
1920 - Appointed as a justice of the peace.
Resources
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Image - English Quote Signed by Edith Cowan
Description: Signed letter to the people of Western Australia by Edith Cowan as part of the Western Australian Centenary Celebrations Date: 1929 Source: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32292912 Author: Edith Cowan Licensing: This image is of Australian origin and is now in the public domain because its term of copyright has expired.
Wikimedia Commons: File:Edith Cowan WANP 05Jul1929.jpg
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References
Nugent, Maria. (2002). Women’s Employment and Professionalism in Australia: Histories, Themes and Places. Canberra, ACT: Australia Heritage Commission, p. 84.
PARLIAMENT BUILDING
“Associated with Edith Cowan (first woman member of State Assembly); May Holman (first woman Labor member of the Legislative Assembly; Florence Cardell-Oliver (first woman cabinet minister in the State Assembly); and Carmen Lawrence (the first women [sic] premier.”Nugent, Maria. (2002). Women’s Employment and Professionalism in Australia: Histories, Themes and Places. Canberra, ACT: Australia Heritage Commission, p. 84.
EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY
“Named after Edith Cowan, the first woman member of a State Assembly.”Nugent, Maria. (2002). Women’s Employment and Professionalism in Australia: Histories, Themes and Places. Canberra, ACT: Australia Heritage Commission, p. 84.EDI
TH COWAN MEMORIAL CLOCK
“A memorial to Edith Cowan, the first woman member of a State Assembly. The memorial acknowledges her contribution to the struggle for women to have a place and voice in public political life.”Hope, Deborah. A date with our forgotten heroines. newspaper unknown. January 10, 1984:7.
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References
Australia gets its first woman MP. newspaper unknown. date unknown:page unknown.
Hope, Deborah. A date with our forgotten heroines. newspaper unknown. January 10, 1984:7.
(date unknown). A Century of women: Edith Cowan. magazine unknown, page unknown.
Cowan, Peter. (publication date unknown). Edith Dircksey Cowan. book unknown (page numbers unknown).
Ohlsson, Ingrid and Duffy, Helen. (January 1, 1999). Women of Australia: Their lives and times: a photographic gallery. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. Page 210.
The Australian Women's Register. “Cowan, Edith Dircksey (1861 - 1932)”. accessed 9 December 2020.
Wikipedia. "Edith Cowan". accessed 9 December 2020.
National Museum of Australia. "DEFINING MOMENTS: Edith Cowan". accessed 9 December 2020.