M – HerStory Gallery
MILLER
Emma
26 June 1839 — 22 January 1917
AKA: née Holmes, Grand Old Woman of Queensland Labour, Mother of the Australian Labor Party, Mother Miller
Additional Information
Special Achievements
- 1890 - Founded a women’s union, advocating equal pay and votes for women.
- The first woman and life member of the Brisbane Workers’ Political Organisation.
- 1894-1905 - Foundation president of Women's Equal Franchise Association.
- 1903 - She became president of the Women Workers Political Organisation, Queensland.
- 1905 - Instrumental in gaining the vote for women in Queensland.
- 1908 - She was one of two women to attend a Commonwealth Labor conference, only the second time a woman was a delegate.
- 1912 - She lead a contingent of women to Parliament House, avoiding police with fixed bayonets.
Additional Information
- 1891 - Emma gave evidence the Queensland Government’s Royal Commission into shops, factories, and workshops, exposing “sweaters” and their exploitation of women workers.
- Vice-president of the Women’s Peace Army.
- 1922 - A bust of her was unveiled at Trades Hall, funded by public subscription.
Resources
Link - Miller, Emma (1839 - 1917)
The Australian Women's Register
Link - Miller, Emma (1839–1917)
Australian Dictionary of Biography
Image - Emma Miller
Portrait of Mrs. Emma Miller: [suffragette movement in Queensland]
State Library of Queensland. Out of copyright.
Link - Miller, Emma (1839 - 1917)
The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia
Link - Emma Miller
Wikipedia
Link - Emma Miller (1839-1917)
Queensland Government
Link - EMMA MILLER – MOTHER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY
John Oxley Library
