• Entry type: Person
  • Entry ID: AWE0554

Blackburn, Doris Amelia

(1889 – 1970)
  • Born 18 September, 1889, Auburn Victoria Australia
  • Died 12 December, 1970, Coburg Victoria Australia
  • Occupation Peace activist, Politician

Summary

The second woman member of the House of Representatives, Doris Blackburn successfully won her late husband’s Federal seat of Bourke as an Independent Labor candidate in 1946. In an electoral redistribution the seat of Bourke was abolished and Blackburn contested the new seat of Wills at the 1949 and 1951 elections, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

She was involved in the Free Kindergarten movement and numerous campaigns for better education, playgrounds and crèches. Blackburn was a member of the Women’s Political Association in Victoria, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the Women’s Prison Council and the Save the Children Fund. In 1957, with Doug Nicholls, she was a co-founder of the Aboriginal Advancement League and the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement.

Events

  • 1911 - 1911

    Attended her first meeting of the Women’s Political Association

  • 2014 - 2014

    Married Maurice McCrae Blackburn (died 1944), they were to have 2 sons and a daughter

  • 1946 - 1950

    Member House of Representatives (Independent) for Bourke, Victoria

  • 1913 - 1913

    Acted as campaign secretary for Vida Goldstein

  • 1957 - 1957

    Co-founded the Aboriginal Advancement League with Doug Nicholls

  • 1916 - 1917

    With her husband she was an anti-conscription campaigner

  • 1952 - 1952

    Travelled overseas as an emissary of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

  • 1948 - 1948

    President of the Council for Civil Liberties

Published resources

  • Book Section
    • Blackburn, Doris, Grahame, Emma, 1988
    • Doris Blackburn MHR: Radical Representative, Rasmussen, Carolyn, 1985
  • Edited Book
    • Who's Who in Australia 1968, Legge, J S, 1968
    • 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology, Radi, Heather, 1988
  • Resource Section
  • Resource

Archival resources

  • National Library of Australia, Oral History and Folklore Collection
    • Shirley Andrews interviewed by Peter Read in the Peter Read collection of interviews conducted for his book entitled, Charles Perkins : a biography [sound recording]

Related entries


  • Member
    • Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria (1908 - )
    • Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Australia (1919 - )
    • Women's Political Association of Victoria (1903 - 1919)
  • Related Women
    • Goldstein, Vida (1869 - 1949)
  • Membership
    • The Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria (1885 - )