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Blackburn, Doris Amelia (1889 - 1970)

MHR
Related EntriesArchival/Heritage ResourcesPublished Resources
Politician and Peace activist
Born: 18 September 1889  Auburn, Victoria, Australia.  Died: 12 December 1970  Coburg, Victoria, Australia.

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. 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.


Career Highlights
Alternative Names:
  • Horden, Doris (maiden name, 18 September 1889 - 10 December 1914)

Events
1911

Attended her first meeting of the Women's Political Association

1913

Acted as campaign secretary for Vida Goldstein

10 December 1914

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

1916 - 1917

With her husband she was an anti-conscription campaigner

1946 - 1950

Member House of Representatives (Independent) for Bourke, Victoria

1948

President of the Council for Civil Liberties

1952

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

1957

Co-founded the Aboriginal Advancement League with Doug Nicholls

 
Sources used to compile this entry: Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 13 pps 191-192, Australian Feminism, p. 391and Double Time: Women in Victoria - 150 Years, pps 353-363.
 
Related Entries for Blackburn, Doris Amelia

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Published Resources

Book Sections

  • Grahame, Emma, 'Blackburn, Doris', in Caine, Barbara (ed.), Australian feminism : a companion, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic., 1988, p. 391. [ Details... ]
  • Rasmussen, Carolyn, 'Blackburn, Doris Amelia (1889-1970)', in Ritchie, John (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 13, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., pp. 191-192. [ Details... ]
  • Rasmussen, Carolyn, 'Doris Blackburn MHR: Radical Representative', in Lake, Marilyn and Kelly, Farley (eds), Double time : women in Victoria - 150 years, Penguin, Ringwood, Vic., 1985, pp. 353-363. [ Details... ]

See also

  • Lake, Marilyn and Kelly, Farley (eds), Double Time: Women in Victoria - 150 Years, Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood (Vic.), 1985, 476 pp. [ Details... ]
  • Legge, J S (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1968, The Herald and Weekly Times, Melbourne, 1968, 956 pp. [ Details... ]

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Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: Anne Heywood
Created: 19 September 2003
Modified: 24 October 2007

Published by National Foundation for Australian Women on Australian Women's Archives Project Web Site
Comments, questions, corrections and additions: awap@womenaustralia.info
Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 4 September 2008
http://womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0554b.htm

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