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Irene Longman, c. 1930
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Irene Longman was the first woman to both stand for and be elected to the Queensland Parliament. She was a member of the Country and Progressive National Party for the electorate of Bulimba from 11 May 1929 to 11 June 1932. Longman moved Address-in-Reply to the Governor's Opening of Parliament Speech on 21 August 1929.
Irene Longman was educated at Sydney Girls' High School and Redlands (SCEGS) North Sydney. After obtaining a Kindergarten Teaching Diploma she taught at Normanhurst, Sydney Girls' Grammar School and Rockhampton Girls' Grammar School.
An activist in many women's organisation Longman was President of the National Council of Women of Queensland from 1920 to 1924; Honorary President Queensland Citizenship League; Honorary President Queensland Association for the Welfare of the Mentally Deficient; Vice-President of the Queensland Branch Lyceum Club; Vice-President of the Queensland Womens' Peace Movement and Officer of the Creche and Kindergarten Association.
Also Longman is responsible for the first Queensland women police officer and for changing the meeting place of the Children's Court from its meeting place in the precinct of the Police Court.
Sources used to compile this entry: http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Parlib/Members/women/chapters/longman.htm accessed 2001-11-01 and http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Parlib/Members/women/bios/Longman.htm accessed 2001-11-01.
Anne Heywood
Created: 7 November 2001, Last modified: 25 August 2003
http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0170b.htm