Eighty years after Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons made history as the first women elected to the Australian Parliament, on March 8th, 2023, they made history again with the unveiling of their statues near Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, the first statues of women in the parliamentary zone in Canberra. The sculptures stand close to the Women’s Suffrage Commemorative Fountain, commemorating women’s achievements in the Federal Parliament since gaining the right to vote in 1902. Sally Barnes, CEO of the National Capital Authority, led this project, commissioning Melbourne-based sculptress Lis Johnson to sculpt the statues. Johnson depicted Tangney and Lyons as they appeared in an iconic photo on their first day in office on September 24th, 1943. Kristy McBain, the Minister for Territories and the first female elected to the seat of Eden-Monaro unveiled the statues in a special ceremony attended by the Lyons and Tangney families. Dorothy Tangney (1907-1985) won the 1943 federal election, becoming the first Australian female senator. She served as Western Australia representative from the Australian Labor Party till 1968, taking part in several committees while focusing on education, social policy, public health, and women’s topics. In 1968, Tangney became the first woman born in Western Australia to be appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). Enid Lyons (1897-1981) was the first elected woman to the House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in the federal cabinet. Before she ran for office, Lyons was the right hand of her husband, Joseph Lyons, when he served as prime minister of Australia (1932-1939) and premier of Tasmania (1923-1928) and raised their 11 children. When he suddenly passed away in 1939, Lyons stepped down from public life for a while and then, in 1943, decided to run for the seat of Darwin in Tasmania at the House of Representatives as the United Australia Party candidate. While in office, Lyons promoted social welfare, free medical treatment for pensioners schemes, and child endowment. Due to poor health, she retired from parliament in 1951. Read more...

On December 2nd, 2004, 102 years after Australian women won the right to vote and elect with the passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act in 1902, the Women’s Suffrage Commemorative Fountain was dedicated, serving as an ongoing tribute to women’s achievements in Federal Parliament. Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Senator Kay Patterson initiated, led, and dedicated the memorial. Cate Riley and Andrew Smith of the National Capital Authority designed it, while artist Mary Stuart created and placed the mosaic tiles. The rectangular fountain has six jets on each side and a weir at the eastern end. The base consists of mosaic tiles in the colors of the suffragette shades of green, white, and purple. The text on the fountain’s border commemorates the passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act and the following year’s election when women voted and stood for office in the Federal Parliament for the first time in Australian history. The pathway leading away from the fountain is adorned with tiles describing key milestones and achievements in women’s journey to have an equal part in federal politics in Australia. The walkway starts with the passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act in 1902, continues with the first-time women voted and stood for office in 1903, and a list of the four women who stood at the 1903 election – Selina Anderson in the House of Representatives and Vida Goldstein, Nellie Martel, and Mary Moore-Bentley in the Senate, all were unsuccessful. The last tile commemorates the 2004 opening of the memorial. The fountain stands at the entrance to the House of Representatives garden within a walkway linking Old Parliament House to Constitution Place. The Old Parliament House is the home to the Museum of Australian Democracy; there are many things to see and do in the area, including The Ladies Rose Garden and the Women – Reconciliation Place Artwork. Read more...

A special artwork on the Reconciliation Place is dedicated to three remarkable women activists who had a significant role in the passage of the 1967 Referendum, which was one of the first milestones for equal rights for Australian Indigenous people, Lady Jessie Street, Faith Bandler, and Evelyn Scott. As part of the 1967 referendum, voters were asked whether Indigenous Australians should be included in official population counts for constitutional purposes and whether the Federal Government should have the power to make special laws for Indigenous Australians in states. Following the campaign, which included several massive petitions and hundreds of public meetings, on May 27, 1967, 90.77% of the voters replied Yes, the most successful referendum in Australian history. The Women Artwork consists of three cast bronze slivers, each reviewing the biographies and roles in the 1967 Referendum of Lady Jessie Street, Faith Bandler, and Dr. Evelyn Scott. The convex side of each silver and the pavement are inscribed with words and quotes related to their values. Facing the silvers is a circular seat that contains an audio device that broadcasts personal reflections by Faith Bandler, Dr. Evelyn Scott, and Sir Laurence Street. The artists Belinda Smith and Rob Tindal designed the artwork, Jennifer Marchant designed the graphics, and the patterning was done by Jenuarrie, Thanakupi (Thancoupie Gloria Fletcher), and Violet Petyarre. Lady Jessie Street (1889-1970) was an Australian suffragette, feminist, and Indigenous Australian rights activist. Jessie founded the United Association of Women in Australia in 1929. She attended women’s conferences worldwide, worked with women’s groups in different countries, and was Australia’s first female delegate to the founding of the United Nations in 1945. She ran twice for office and was narrowly defeated each time. Jessie was active in the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement (FCAA)and the initiator and master minder of the 1967 Referendum. Faith Bandler (1918-2015) was a leading campaigner for the rights of Indigenous Australians and South Sea Islanders. Her father was one of the indigenous children who was kidnapped to work on a plantation. Faith began her activism in 1945, campaigning for equal pay for indigenous workers after being paid less than white workers in the Australian Women’s Land Army. In 1956, Faith co-established the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship. Later on, she became the general secretary of FCAA and led the successful campaign for a constitutional referendum to remove discriminatory provisions from the Constitution of Australia. Evelyn Scott (1935-2017) was an Indigenous social activist and educator. She was actively involved with the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement League in the 1960s and was one of the campaign leaders in the 1967 referendum. It was the first of many achievements in a life of activism for equal rights for Australian Indigenous people. Reconciliation Place is located in Canberra’s National Triangle, an area that celebrates the shared history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Next to the Women’s Artwork is the stone that commemorates Ruby Florence Hammond. A short walk leads to the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage Commemorative Fountain & Suffrage Walk and the Ladies Rose Garden. Read more...