The Australian Women's Register

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about influential headmistresses in Australian since 1850. In 2012, a list of 32 women is available for browsing. Information about their activities beyond employment is also available in some instances.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Users should use the word ‘headmistress’ to guide their searches.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women’s organisations, advocacy organisations and lobby groups since the early nineteenth century. Lists of hundreds of organisations, many of them with links to full historical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women in religious orders since the early nineteenth century. Information about approximately 100 women is available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Users should use terms such as ‘missionaries’, deaconesses’ and ‘religious’ to guide their searches.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women in the health professions since the late nineteenth century. Lists of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and medical administrators, many of them with links to full biographical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Users should use search terms that include ‘Medical Practitioner’, ‘Surgeon’ and ‘Matron’.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women musicians since the mid nineteenth century. Information about approximately 100 women is available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Users should use terms such as ‘singers’, ‘pianists’ and ‘conductor’ to guide their searches.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women writers since the mid nineteenth century. Lists of writers, poets, journalists, publishers and editors, many of them with links to full biographical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women social workers and social support organisations since the early twentieth century. Lists of women and their organisations, many of them with links to full historical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women as educators since the mid nineteenth century. Lists of teachers, educators, academics and headmistresses, many of them with links to full biographical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women’s trade unions and unionists since the early twentieth century. Lists of unionists, union organisers and their unions, some with links to full biographical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Users should include the terms ‘Trade Unionist’ and ‘Unionist’ in their searches.

Australian Women In War lists Australian women and women’s organisations who participated and assisted in the Boer War, World Wars and subsequent conflicts, with links to biographical, bibliographical and archival information about a small selection of them.

The exhibition lists 184 women with biographical resources, 33 organisations with further information and 15 commemorations with further information.

This exhibition is a project of the National Foundation for Australian Women as part of the Foundation’s ongoing initiative, the Australian Women’s Archives Project. It was funded through the Australian Government’s commemorations program Saluting Their Service administered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about Indigenous women since the early nineteenth century in a range of contexts and activities. Many of them have links to full biographical notes and are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Most are accessible from the ‘A’ browse page, but users should use the word ‘indigenous’ in their searches as well.

Where Are The Women in Australian Science? provides information about women and the roles they played in the history of Australian science, technology and medicine from the earliest periods of European engagement to the present day. The exhibition links to biographical, bibliographical and archival information held in the Encyclopedia of Australian Science database and allows users to create their own searches. Lists of women can be browsed, according to era and occupation. When the project was launched in 2003, there were 620 women scientists listed.

This exhibition is a project of the National Foundation for Australian Women and the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre of the University of Melbourne. Work on this project was funded by a 2002-2003 capacity building grant under the Women’s Development Programme administered by the Commonwealth Office of the Status of Women. It was published in 2003.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women welfare workers and organisations since the mid nineteenth century. Lists of women and their organisations, many of them with links to full historical notes, are available for browsing.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

Women in the Making of Canberra is a project commissioned in 2001 to aggregate information about the significant contributions that women have made to the development of Canberra. Information is organised around the following themes: Planning; Arriving; Settling; Providing and Representing. Users can also Browse alphabetical listings of women and organisations.

The following lists may also be useful to users: ACT Women of the Year Awards (1990-95); ACT Women’s Awards (1996-2001); ACT International Women’s Day Awards (2002- ); Women included on the ACT Honour Walk.

This project was supported by the ACT Office for Women and a generous donation from Christine Foley. The project was also assisted through funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program.

Seven Writers was a group of Canberra-based women writers who met regularly to debate and critique one another’s work. The Australian Women’s Register has aggregated data about the group, including biographical entries for the seven writers, as well has comprehensive bibliographical and archival information relating to their writing. Images are also available. The Seven Writers are/were: Barbalet, Margaret Evelyn; Dowse, Sara (1938 – ); Edgar, Suzanne (1939 – ); Eldridge, Marian Favel Clair (1936 – 1997); Halligan, Marion Mildred (1940 – ) ; Horsfield, Dorothy (1948 – ); Johnston, Dorothy (1948 – ).

Funding to complete the project was provided by Christine Goode.

The Australian Women’s Register has aggregated data about women in local government in Australia. Users can browse lists of councillors, mayors and lord mayors to find the names of women across Australia who have served in local government. Over three hundred women are listed, many of them with links to fully developed biographical notes. Information about their activities outside local government is also available.

Information is also about the Australian Women in Local Government Associations across Australia.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about women in environmental movement in Australia. A list of thirty women is available, many of them with links to fully developed biographical notes. Information about their activities beyond the environmental movement is also available.

It is expected that this number will increase with the completion of the Australian Women and Leadership project in 2012.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page.

The Australian Women’s Register has compiled information about feminists and other women active in the women’s rights movement in Australia since the mid nineteenth century. Lists of hundreds of women, many of them with links to fully developed biographical notes, are available for browsing. Information about their activities beyond the women’s movement is also available.

Users can access the information from browse lists accessible via the home page of the Australian Women’s Register, or through structured searches, also accessible via the home page. Users should use terms such as ‘feminist’ or ‘women’s rights activist’ to guide their searches.

Unbroken Spirit: Women in Broken Hill documents the historical experience of women living in Broken Hill, New South Wales since the city was established. Secondary sources and primary research (using archival materials, including images, and oral interviews) have been used to create an online, searchable database containing biographical notes on over sixty Broken Hill women – past and present – along with information about relevant publications and archival resources, and a rich collection of digital images from the Outback Archives in Broken Hill. Soundbites of interviews with a number of women may be heard online through the exhibition.

Dr Barbara Lemon was the principal researcher and writer for Unbroken Spirit

Funding for this project was provided by the New South Wales Government Office for Women, the Australian Research Council, Monash University and the National Foundation for Australian Women. The Broken Hill City Council provided in-kind support.

Putting Skirts on the Sacred Benches lists more than 700 women candidates who stood for New South Wales Parliament, recognising their significant contributions and achievements, despite, in most cases, their lack of success. Archival materials and secondary sources have been used to create a searchable database that allows users to: browse alphabetical listings of women candidates; browse women candidates by political party; browse women candidates by seat; browse women candidates by year and browse women candidates by jurisdiction.

Biographical entries about a selection of women have been prepared, some containing links to further bibliographical and archival resources.

Dr Emma Grahame was principal researcher for the project and Rachel Grahame was a research associate for the project.

The project was funded in 2005-2006 by the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government Committee, an initiative of the New South Wales Government Premier’s Department.

Being Seen and Heard: Migrant Women Organising in Australia, A Documentary History aggregates and makes accessible to a broad audience, information about culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women’s records in Australian repositories and private hands. It links research findings (current in 2006) to the Australian Women’s Register. Researchers can search for information about a select number of CALD women, their organisations, key events and historical information about the various multicultural communities that they represent.

Dr Nicola Henningham was principal researcher for the project.

Funding for this project was provided by the National Archives of Australia.

Brilliant Ideas and Huge Visions: ABC Radio Australian Rural Women of the Year – 1994-1997 provides information about women across Australia who were recognised as ABC Radio Rural Women of the Year. Between 1994 and 1997, over 150 women were recognised at a regional, state or national level. The award was an important first step towards getting rural women the public recognition they so thoroughly deserve.

Users can: read stories about selected winners; browse an alphabetical list of all nominees; browse a list of national winners; browse a list of state winners; browse alphabetical lists of selected archival and published resources. All this information is linked to the Australian women’s register.

This exhibition is a project of the National Foundation for Australian Women, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, as part of the Foundation’s ongoing initiative, the Australian Women’s Archives Project.

Work on this project was generously funded in 2010 by The Fred P Archer Charitable Trust managed by Trust Company Ltd.

The principal researcher for the project was Dr Nikki Henningham. Ailie Smith and Helen Morgan from the ESRC at the University of Melbourne provided technical support.

In Her Gift: Women Philanthropists in Australian History aggregates and makes accessible to a broad audience, research about Australian women’s philanthropy and women philanthropists since the mid nineteenth century. It links research findings (current in 2007) to the Australian Women’s Register. This project links to a database containing biographical notes on over thirty Australian women philanthropists, along with details of relevant bibliographical and archival resources and a thematic essay.

Users can: browse an alphabetical list of philanthropists; browse alphabetical lists of archival and published resources; browse images and search the register of Australia Women

Dr Barbara Lemon was principal researcher for the project.

Funding for this project was provided by the Australian Research Council and the National Foundation for Australian Women

Carrying On The Fight: Women Candidates in Victorian Parliamentary Elections lists more than 800 women candidates who stood for Victorian Parliament, recognising their significant contributions and achievements, despite, in most cases, their lack of success. Archival materials and secondary sources have been used to create a searchable database that allows users to: browse alphabetical listings of women candidates; browse women candidates by political party; browse women candidates by seat; browse women candidates by year and browse women candidates by jurisdiction. An essay about Aboriginal women’s struggle for suffrage rights in Victoria is included.

Biographical entries about a selection of women have been prepared, some containing links to further bibliographical and archival resources.

Dr Rosemary Francis was principal researcher for the project. Ailie Smith and Helen Morgan from the ESRC at the University of Melbourne provided technical support.

This exhibition is a project of the National Foundation for Women as part of the Foundation ‘s ongoing initiative, the Australian Women’s Archives Project.
Work on this project was funded in 2008 by a Victorian State Government Centenary of Women’s Suffrage Grant.

The project was funded in 2005-2006 by the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government Committee, an initiative of the New South Wales Government Premier’s Department.

Representative Women: Victorian Women Parliamentarians Since 1923 aggregates and makes accessible to a broad audience, information about Victorian women, past and present, who were elected to both the Federal and State Parliaments. It links research findings (current in 2007) to the Australian Women’s Register.

Users can: browse an alphabetical list of parliamentarians; browse a list of Victorian Women Representatives in the State Parliament; browse a list of Victorian Women Representatives in the Federal Parliament and search the register of Australia Women

Dr Rosemary Francis was principal researcher for the project.

This exhibition was created to honour Professor Patricia Grimshaw on her retirement from the History Department at the University of Melbourne in April 2006. As a member of the Board of the National Foundation for Australian Women, she has been an energetic supporter of the Australian Women’s Archives Project.

Australian in My Difference: Women And Migration In Australia Since 1945 publishes the migration stories of sixteen women and lists a selection of support services for CALD women. It was current at the time of the research (2006).

The project was funded in 2006 by the Australian Government: Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

Dr Nikki Henningham, Dr Barbara Lemon and Ms Helen Morgan were principal researchers for the project.