On the Plaza Ibero Americana near Central Station stands the bronze bust of the Bolivian Lieutenant Colonel Juana Azurduy de Padilla, who fought for Bolivian and Argentine independence in the 19th century. The Plaza Ibero Americana was dedicated in 1988 to commemorate the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. Located near Central Station in the heart of Sydney, the plaza celebrates Australia’s Spanish and Portuguese communities and their contribution to Australia. The Bolivian artist Victor Zapana sculpted the bust in 1995. The inscription on the sandstone pedestal reads: “JUANA AZURDUY DE PADILLA 12.07.1780-25.05.1862 GUERILLA FIGHTER FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF BOLIVIA FROM SPANISH RULE”. Azurduy de Padilla is the only woman among the thirteen Spanish and Portuguese heroes honored on the plaza. Juana Azurduy de Padilla (1780-1862) was a revolutionary military leader who fought for the independence of Upper Peru (modern-day Bolivia) from Spanish rule. Born to a Spanish father and Indigenous mother in Chuquisaca, she defied the strict gender norms of colonial society by becoming a skilled equestrian and sharpshooter from a young age. In 1809, she and her husband, Manuel Padilla, joined the Chuquisaca Revolution against Spanish authorities. Azurduy de Padilla recruited Indigenous fighters, including an elite force of “Amazonas” women soldiers, to the rebel cause. She earned a reputation as a fearless battlefield commander, leading cavalry charges and capturing enemy standards. At the 1813 Battle of Ayohuma, her forces defeated the Spanish despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Azurduy de Padilla was even said to have rejoined the fight hours after giving birth to her fourth son. Dubbed the “Lieutenant Colonel” by Argentine forces in 1816, her guerilla forces continued resisting even after her husband was executed. In 1825, after the Spanish forces evacuated from Upper Peru and Bolivia was established, Azurduy de Padilla received a military pension and got recognition for her actions. In the twilight of her life, her legacy and heroism faded into anonymity, and her pension was cruelly revoked, leaving her impoverished until her death, when she was laid to rest in a common grave. 100 years after she passed, Azurduy de Padilla was reburied with honors in her hometown Sucre and recognized as a national hero who embodied the Indigenous struggle for emancipation. Her birthday (July 12) has become the Day of the Argentine-Bolivian Fellowship. Read more...

Among the 50 artworks scattered around Sydney Olympic Park is the Eight Women sculptural commemorating eight of Australia’s finest female Olympic and Paralympic athletes who took part in lighting the cauldron during the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The cauldron, upgraded to a water fountain, is located within the park. Created by Imants Tillers, the contemporary sculpture is located at Cathy Freeman Park and celebrates Australian women’s participation in the Olympic Games and their contributions to Australian sports. The athletes who are honored in the sculpture are: Betty Cuthbert AC, MBE (1938-2017) was a world record sprinter who won four gold Olympic medals in 1956 and 1964, becoming the first athlete who won a gold medal in all sprint (running) events: 100, 200, and 400 meters. She became known as the “Golden Girl.” Cathy Freeman, OAM (b.1973) was a sprinter who won two Olympic medals (Silver in 1996 and Gold in 2000) and was the first Indigenous Australian athlete to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1990. Dawn Fraser AC, MBE (b.1937) was a freestyle swimmer who won eight Olympic medals, held 39 records, and is one of four swimmers in Olympic history who have won the same Olympic individual event three times. Debbie Flintoff-King OAM (b.1960) was a hurdler who won a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and the time she set at the Olympics is still the current Australian record. Louise Sauvage OAM (b.1973) was a world record paralympic wheelchair racer who won nine gold and four silver medals at four Paralympic Games (1992-2004), eleven gold and two silver medals at three IPC Athletics World Championships (1994-2002), and several Marathons. Sauvage is considered the most renowned female disabled athlete in Australia. Raelene Boyle AM, MBE (b.1951) was a sprinter who won three silver Olympic medals in 1968 and 1972. Shane Gould AM, MBE (b.1956) was a swimmer who won three gold medals, a silver medal, and a bronze at the 1972 Summer Olympics, becoming the first swimmer to win Olympic medals in five individual events in a single Olympics. Shirley Strickland AO, MBE (1925-2004) was a sprinter-hurdler who won three gold, one silver, and three bronze in the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Olympic Games. The nearby plaque reads: Artist Imants Tillers (Australia b.1950) Eight Women This sculpture was inspired by the eight women involved in lighting the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Cauldrons. Seven of Australia’s greatest female Olympic athletes Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Dawn Fraser, Shirley Strickland, Shane Gould, Debbie Flintoff-King, and Cathy Freeman – carried the Torch in the Opening Ceremony to light the Olympic Cauldron. The ceremonial medley was a tribute to a century of women’s participation in the Olympic Games and a reminder of the huge contribution women have made to Australian Olympic history. The eighth woman represented is Australian Paralympian Louise Sauvage, who ignited the Paralympic Cauldron. Organic, totemic forms in Aboriginal art inspired the tall, bronze central figure. Its shape suggests a common motif in Aboriginal painting, a symbol of journeys. We are reminded of the epic journey of the Olympic and Paralympic Torches. The surrounding blue poles are a collective portrait of the eight torchbearers. The forms represent the energetic and rhythmic dripping of paint on canvas. They are both abstract and figurative. We see a running figure and suggestions of torches or batons in a relay. Rather than a one-to-one correspondence between a particular athlete and a particular form, individual attributes are interwoven into a collective whole. ‘Eight Women’ is an image of athletic energy, achievement, and commemoration. Read more...

The Edith Cowan Memorial Clock pays tribute to one of Australia’s most notable women, who trailblazed the way for many women, Edith Dircksey Cowan, a social reformer, women’s suffrage leader, and the first Australian woman to serve as a member of parliament. Edith Dircksey Cowan, OBE (1861-1932), was the granddaughter of two of the colony’s early settlers and lived her entire life in Western Australia. Cowan married James Cowan when she was 18; they settled in West Perth and had five children. Since the 1890s, Cowan has been involved in social reforms and has been a loud advocate for women’s rights, welfare, health, and education. She was involved in the establishment of a variety of organizations and institutions, including the group that established the Karrakatta Club, Australia’s first women’s club (1984), King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women (1915), Women’s Service Guilds (1909), Western Australia’s National Council of Women, Royal Western Australian Historical Society, and Children’s Protection Society. Cowan served on many boards and led many of the organizations she founded. In 1920, Cowan became one of the first female Justices of the Peace, and a year later, she won a seat in Western Australia Parliament, the first woman to serve as a member of parliament. Cowan served for four years, promoting women’s rights, legalizing the option for women to practice law, and more. She lost re-election in 1924. After Cowan passed away in 1932, the Western Australian branch of the National Council for Women formed the Edith Cowan Memorial Committee to lead the project of her commemoration in Kings Park. Perth architect Harold Boas and City Engineer Henry Atwell designed the monument, and Margaret Johnson designed and sculpted Cowan’s portrait. After the committee approved the design and location, protests arose to commemorate a woman in a primary location. Eventually, following the Supreme Court’s denial of the injunction against the monument, construction started. On the second anniversary of Cowan’s death, June 9, 1934, the memorial was unveiled, becoming the first monument erected in Australia to honor a woman. A bronze plaque in the tower features her portrait. Another bronze plaque reads: ERECTED IN HONOUR OF EDITH DIRCKSEY COWAN O.B.E., J.P. BY THOSE WHO ADMIRED HER MANY GOOD WORKS FOR HUMANITY 1861–1932 FIRST WOMAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IN AUSTRALIA A LIFE OF SERVICE On March 12, 1996, the 75th anniversary of Cowan’s election to parliament, it was re-dedicated. The Cowan Memorial is one of the many ways that Australia honors Cowan’s legacy. Her portrait appeared on an Australian postage stamp in 1975. Since 1995, she has appeared on the Australian fifty-dollar note. The Edith Cowan University is named in her honor (1990), and she is featured in the Centenary of Western Australian Women’s Suffrage Memorial. Read more...

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...

The statue of social activist Gladys Nicholls stands next to her husband in the Pastor Sir Douglas and Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial in Parliament Gardens, Melbourne. Unveiled on December 9th, 2007, this is one of the first statues of an Aboriginal woman in Australia and the first in Melbourne. Australian artist Louis Laume sculpted them, depicting Gladys holding Douglas’s hand and looking at him. In the bluestone paving under the statue, Ngarra Murray etched the totems Bigarrumdja the Emu and Waa the Crow with diamond-shaped markings. The nearby plaque reads – “Pastor Sir Douglas and Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial. River People who turned the tide of history and injustice to progress the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. DUNGULA WAMAYIRR (River People) This is the first memorial statue in Melbourne dedicated to two Aboriginal community leaders, Pastor Sir Doug and Ladt Gladys Nicholls. They vigorously fought for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across this country and are an eternal symbol of our ongoing history and commitment to human rights in Australia. PASTOR SIR DOUGLAS RALPH NICHOLLS JP MBE OBE OAM KCVO BAPU MAMUS 1906 – 1988 Traditional Owner and Aboriginal Elder of the Yorta Yorta, Baraparapa, Dja Dja Wurrung, Jupagalk and Werkgaia peoples from the Murray, Lodden, Richardson and Wimmera Rivers – the lands of the Emu, Long Neck Turtle, Platypus, Crow and Pelican. Church of Christ Pastor, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Knight, Governor of South Australia, Justice of the Peace, Footballer, Sprinter, Boxer, Soldier, Statesman, Freemason. A man of the people from Cummeroogunja Mission in Yorta Yorta country, a devout spiritual leader and man of God, Aboriginal community leader, brilliant sportsman, and a fighter for equality and human rights. LADY GLADYS MURIEL NABY NICHOLLS (nee Bux) 1906 – 1981 Traditional Owner and Aboriginal Elder of the Baraparapa and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples from the Murray and Lodden Rivers – the lands of the Platypus and Crow. Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Aboriginal Community Leader, Business Woman, Charity Worker, Women’s Activist. A woman of courage and strength, and a fighter for equality for equality and human rights.” Gladys Nicholls (1906-1981) was born and raised at Cummeragunja Reserve in Yorta Yorta country. At 19, she married Herbert “Dowie” Nicholls; they moved to Melbourne and had three children. Sadly, in 1942, Dowie died following a car accident, and soon, Gladys married his brother, Douglas. They became community leaders; Gladys’s involvement in the Aboriginal community in Melbourne included opening a series of opportunity shops, teaching at a Sunday school, and organizing fundraisers to support families in need. In addition, the couple raised awareness of the Aboriginal community’s social and economic challenges and advocated for social justice, improved conditions, and heritage conservation of Indigenous Australians. In 1976, Douglas was appointed the Governor of South Australia, and Gladys became the first Indigenous woman to be the consort of a state governor in Australia. Read more...

In the heart of the beautiful garden of the Fitzroy Gardens Conservatory stands the life-sized bronze statue of the first white woman settler in Victoria, Mary Gilbert. Sculptress Ailsa O`Connor sculpted it, using her daughter as the model. O`Connor (1921-1980) was an Australian artist, feminist, and women’s rights activist. Melbourne City Council commissioned it for the 1975 International Women`s Year, and Lady Mayoress Barbara Walker unveiled it on November 26th, 1975. The plaque on the plinth reads- “Mary Gilbert First Migrant Woman Settler Ailsa O`Connor 1974 Mary gave birth to a son. The first white child born in the Port Phillip settlement on 29 December 1835. As servants of John Pascoe Fawkner, Mary and her husband, blacksmith James Gilbert, were in the original party of settlers who landed from the schooner Enterprize on 30 August 1835.” 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...

A statue of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, a philanthropist and matriarch of the Murdoch family, stands in the entrance foyer of the Frankston Arts Centre, welcoming visitors. Frankston City Council and the Murdoch family wanted to celebrate Elisabeth’s devotion to the arts community, so they commissioned the sculptor Peter Corlett to create the sculpture. Corlett sculpted it based on a photo of her from her 90th birthday, depicting her in her senior years, smiling, her hands open in a welcoming gesture. On November 29th, 2013, Elisabeth’s daughters, Anne Kantor and Janet Calvert-Jones, unveiled it in a community ceremony. Elisabeth Greene Murdoch (1909-2012) was born and raised in Melbourne. In 1928, she married Keith Murdoch, 23 years her senior, a journalist, editor, and newspaper manager. They had four children. While her husband built their media business, Elisabeth focused on volunteering work. When Keith died in 1952, Elisabeth inherited most of his fortune, and their son, Rupert, expanded the family news business into a global media empire. Over the years, Elisabeth’s philosophy and involvement increased in many of Melbourne and Australia’s institutions, including the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Australian Ballet, and the Botanic Gardens. Among the many awards she received for her work is the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division (DBE) for her role in building a new children’s hospital in Melbourne (1963), Companion of the Order of Australia, Civil Division (AC) for serving the community (1989), the Centenary Medal (2001), the key to the city of Melbourne (2003) and the Victorian of the Year (2005). Several institutions and parks were renamed after her, including the Elisabeth Murdoch Arboretum and the Elisabeth Murdoch College. Read more...

In the heart of Burswood Park stands the sculpture of the Australian author Dame Mary Durack. Also called the Storyteller, the statue was designed in 1996 by Charlie and Joan Smith and was one of the first sculptures in the park and the only one to commemorate a woman. Mary Durack (1913-1994) was born to a family of settlers in the rural Kimberley region of Western Australia. They owned cattle stations, controlling over 7 million acres in that area, living, working, and learning skills from the indigenous people. Mary received her education at Loreto Convent in Perth and operated with her sister Elizabeth, one of the cattle stations in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The sisters became writers and artists and collaborated on several children’s books since 1935. In 1938, Mary married the aviator, Captain Horrie C. Miller; they lived and raised their six children in the Nedlands. Mary wrote novels (several about her family’s history), children’s books, short stories, and plays. Among the many awards Mary Durack received in her lifetime are Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to literature (1977) and Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her service to the community and literature (1989). Also in the park is the Shelley Taylor-Smith commemorative plaque honoring the Western Australian marathon swimmer, Shelley Taylor-Smith, at the location where she finished the 25 km race and won a gold medal at the 1991 World Swimming Championships. Read more...