Lyons, Enid Muriel (1897 - 1981)

Dame Enid Lyons AD GBE was the first woman elected to the Australian federal Parliament, in 1943. She was also the first woman in federal Cabinet. She was appointed as a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 11 May 1957 for her public services to Australia and as a Dame of the Order of Australia (AD) on 26 January 1980.

Originally a teacher, Enid had a long-held interest in politics. In 1915 she married Joseph Lyons, who became Prime Minister of Australia in 1931. The couple had 12 children.

In 1943 Enid Lyons was elected to the House of Representatives for the seat of Darwin (in Tasmania) as a candidate for the United Australia party, where she demonstrated her concern with issues surrounding maternity care, child endowment, women's representation in parliament and discrimination in employment.

Presided

• St Joan's International Alliance (1936 - )

  [1936 - 1938]

Online Resources

• 'Dame Enid Lyons', in George Negus Tonight, 22 September 2003, http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s951058.htm. [ Details... ]
• National Archives of Australia, 'Primary description of person CP 928; Hon Dame Enid Muriel Lyons AD, DBE', http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CP+928. [ Details... ]
• Women Tasmania, Significant Tasmanian Women: Dame Enid Lyons AO (1897-1981), First woman to be elected to the Commonwealth Parliament, 2001, http://www.women.tas.gov.au/significantwomen/search/enidlyons.html. [ Details... ]

See also

• 'DAME ENID LYONS', in Australians, Behind the News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Boardcasting Corporation, 2002, http://www.abc.net.au/btn/australians/elyons.htm. [ Details... ]
• Adelaide, Debra, Australian women writers : a bibliographic guide, Title Australian women writers : a bibliographic guide / Debra Adelaide. Published, Pandora Press, London ; Sydney, 1988, 208 pp. [ Details... ]
• Australian Electoral Commission, 'List of Electoral Divisions Named After Women', 10 May 2002, http://www.aec.gov.au/history/women/women3.htm. [ Details... ]
• Daniels, Kay, Uphill all the way, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Qld, 1980, 335 pp. [ Details... ]
• De Vries, Susanna, Great Australian Women: from federation to freedom, HarperCollinsPublishers, Pymble, NSW, 2001, 354 pp. [ Details... ]
• Fitzherbert, Margaret, Liberal women : Federation to 1949, Federation Press, Sydney, 2004, 224 pp. [ Details... ]