First Australian Suffrage Society

Henrietta Dugdale, Vida Goldstein and Annie Lowe formed the Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society

Organising women’s suffrage in South Australia

Women’s Suffrage League formed in South Australia

Women win the vote in South Australia

Victoria signs her assent to the Bill passed by the South Australian parliament on 18 December 1894

Women win the vote in Western Australia

West Australian women win the vote in WA elections with Queen Victoria’s assent to the Bill passed by the WA parliament on 15 December 1899

Federal suffrage

Commonwealth Franchise Act grants right to vote and stand for election for the Australian parliament to women on the same basis as men, with Aboriginal people in some States still without this right

First Australian women stand for federal parliament elections

Vida Goldstein, Nellie Martel, and Mary Ann Moore Bentley stand for the Senate, and Selina Siggins for the seat of Dalley in the House of Representatives

Australian Exhibition of Women’s Work opens

Opening of the Australian Exhibition of Women’s Work in Melbourne by Lady Northcote, with Pattie Deakin running a model creche during the five-week exhibition showcasing the work of musicians, artists and craftswomen

First woman elected to an Australian parliament

Edith Cowan (Nationalist, West Perth) became the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament. She served in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly until 22 March 1924.

First women elected to the federal parliament

Dame Enid Lyons becomes a member of the House of Representatives for the United Australia Party, and the Australian Labor Party’s Dorothy Tangney takes a seat in the Senate representing West Australia

Equal Pay

After decades of campaigning, Australian women workers win equal pay rates with men doing comparable work under an Arbitration Commission decision for incremental increases, with pay parity eventually achieved in 1972

Australia celebrates International Women's Day

The Australian Government held the first national conference on the status of women (Women and Politics) and committed Australia to celebrating International Women's Day with other member nations of the United Nations.

Australia becomes CEDAW signatory

Australia becomes a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

National Foundation for Australian Women launched

The National Foundation for Australian Women was officially launched at the National Press Club in Canberra on 1 July 1989. with members of the Interim Board explaining the aims and proposed organisation and a symbolic 'passing of the torch' from an old to a young feminist. A series of mini-launches in all states and territories and some regional areas within states were held in the following six months. The launches attracted much interest and many members. As expected, discussion focused on the contradictions between the openness of a mass organisation and the need to protect women's funds. An unexpected but welcome element in the membership consisted of women who had never before been involved in the women's movement. The organisation has come a long way since then.

Women's History Month Australia launched

Hon Margaret Reid, Senator for the ACT and President of the Senate, launched Women's History Month in Parliament House Canberra.

Women's History Month 2002