The Australian Women's Register

Martha Cox married selector David Cox, and lived and worked with him on their property in the Condobolin (western) district of New South Wales. Under harsh and isolated conditions, she cooked for workers, carried out household chores and farm work, and made her own butter, cheese, jam and soap. Toward the end of her life, she composed a detailed journal of her days on the land.

Anna Stewart, as Industrial Advocate for the Federated Furnishing Trades Society, successfully led the first Australian blue collar union campaign for maternity leave award provisions in 1975. She was a founding member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Women’s Committee from 1977, representing the Vehicle Builders Employees’ Federation and then the Municipal Officers’ Association from 1982, and contributing to the ACTU’s Working Women’s Charter and the Maternity Leave Test Case. She also stood as a candidate for the Australian Labor Party in the Legislative Assembly seat of Frankston at the Victorian state election, which was held on 5 May 1979.

Jean Daley was the first woman in Victoria to stand for Federal parliament as an endorsed Labor candidate when she stood for the seat of Kooyong in 1922. As woman organiser for the Australian Labor Party, she established the Labor Women’s Interstate Executive in 1929.

Hannah Buckley was South Australia’s first Catholic social worker. She ran the Catholic Social Service Bureau in Adelaide.

A member of the Liberal and Country League, Joyce Steele was the first woman to be elected to the House of Assembly in the South Australian Parliament in 1959. She stood in the seat of Burnside. She was the first woman in the South Australian Parliament to achieve Cabinet rank as Minister for Education in the Hall Government from 1968-69, then moved to the Social Welfare Ministry in 1969. After major electoral reform in 1968, Steele stood for the new seat of Davenport at the 1970 state election and won convincingly. She retired before the 1973 election.

A member of the Liberal and Country League, Jessie Cooper was the first woman to be elected to the Parliament of South Australia in the Legislative Council in 1959 and served until her retirement in 1979.

Agnes Rasp was the wife of Charles Rasp, founder of the global mineral resources company, BHP.

Margarethe Von Puttkamer was the first nurse at Broken Hill, New South Wales.

Ida Lucy Croft was the first woman pharmacist in Broken Hill, New South Wales.

As a small child, Kitty Lund entertained the Broken Hill community with her acting and dancing performances on the local stage. In later life, as Kit Harris, she published two popular books on handcrafts.

Marija migrated to Broken Hill, New South Wales, from Croatia in 1961.

A member of the Australian Democrats, Heather Southcott was the first female member of that party to be elected to the South Australian Parliament. She was elected as Member for the district of Mitcham in the House of Assembly at the by-election, which was held in early 1982. Unfortunately she was defeated later in the year at the general election, which was held in November.

Heather Southcott passed away in November, 2014. For more information about her important life, please see her entry in The Encyclopedia Women and Leadership in Twentieth Century Australia that is linked to this page.

Nydia Edes was the first female Alderman on the Broken Hill City Council and a recipient of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal who worked tirelessly throughout her life for the improvement of women’s conditions.

A member of the Liberal Party of South Australia, Caroline Schaefer filled a casual vacancy in the Legislative Council of the Parliament of South Australia in August 1993. She was elected in 1993, re-elected in 2002 and 2006. Before her election to Parliament she served on the Kimba Local Council from 1989-1993.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Annette Hurley was elected to the Parliament of South Australia in the seat of Napier at the election, which was held on 11 December 1993. She was defeated at the 2002 election, but won a seat in the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election, representing the State of South Australia. She was not a candidate at the 2010 federal election.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Lea Stevens was elected as the Member for Elizabeth in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia at a by-election, which was held on 9 April 1994. The name of the seat was changed to Little Para in March 2006 after a redistribution. She held the portfolio of Minister for Health from 2002-05. She was re-elected in 2006.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Steph Key was elected as the Member for Hanson, from 2002 Ashford, in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia at the election, which was held on 11 October 1997. She held a range of Ministerial appointments from 2002-06, which included Social Justice, Housing, Youth, Status of Women and Employment, Training and Further Education. She was re-elected in 2002 and 2006.

A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Vickie Chapman was elected to the seat of Bragg in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia at the election which was held on 9 February 2002. She was re-elected in 2006 and in 2010. She was Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2006-09. Educated at the Parndana Area School, Pembroke School and Adelaide University, Vickie ran her own small legal firm before entering Parliament.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Chloë Fox was elected to the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia to represent the electorate of Bright at the election, which was held on 18 March 2006. She made her first attempt to enter Parliament was in 2004 when she stood in the seat of Boothby at the federal election. She was re-elected in 2010.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Grace Portolesi was elected to the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia to represent the electorate of Hartley at the election, which was held on 18 March 2006. She was re-elected in 2010. She currently holds the ministerial portfolios of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Multicultural Affairs, Youth and Volunteers.

A member of the Liberal Country League, Kay Brownbill was elected to the seat of Kingston in the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament at the 1966 federal election. She was the third woman to be elected to the House of Representatives, but was in Parliament for only one term as she was defeated at the 1969 election. She was made an OBE in 1980 for services to the community.

Rhoda Kernot opened the La Balfour hospital in Broken Hill, New South Wales, in 1924.

Melva MacGillivray was the first woman to drive a T-Model Ford to Broken Hill, New South Wales.

Ivy Barnes was a foundation member of the women’s branch of the Australian Labor Party in Broken Hill, New South Wales. She was the wife of Edwin John Barnes, who was Mayor of Broken Hill from 1934 to 1937.

Nina Bills wrote the social page and the women’s page for Broken Hill’s Barrier Daily Truth in the 1930s.

Rosetta Birks was a member of the South Australian Women’s Suffrage League and the Social Purity Society in Adelaide. She was president of the YWCA.

A member of the Australian Labor Party, Elizabeth Harvey was elected to seat of Hawker in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia at the federal election, which was held in July 1987. She lost the seat at the 1990 election by the narrow margin of fourteen votes. The electorate was abolished in 1993.