HUTTON, Beatrice May

Born 16/07/1893, Died 7/10/1990

Also known as: Bea

She became the chief draftsperson of Hocking and Palmer [Queensland] during Edwin Morton Hockings' war service.
1916 - First woman associate member of Queensland Institute of…

BLACKBURN, Elizabeth

Born 1948

Elizabeth Blackburn describes her journey of discovery as starting from basic biological research on the nature of telomeres. Telomeres cap the end of chromosomes and have a very…

PRESTON, Margaret Rose

Born 29/04/1875, Died 28/05/1963

Also known as: née McPherson, Rose McPherson

1920s - First white artist to be deeply influenced by Aboriginal art.
A Modernist artist, with her main work oil on canvas and her bold flower paintings.

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STEGGALL, Zali

Born 1974

1997 - First Australian to win a World Cup Slalom Alpine event
1999 - First Alpine World Champion in the Southern Hemisphere to win Gold in Women's Slalom event at World Skiing…

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HIGGINS, Joan

Also known as: née Scott

First Gymnastics teacher at Children's Social Club (later known as Youth Centre), Alice Springs. Joan Scott was stationed in Alice Springs during World War II where she met Jack…

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ROEDIGER, Beverley Faye

1970 - First woman to gain her commercial pilot licence in Papua New Guinea.

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BRADSHAW, Edna Almurta

CHEETHAM, Debra

Born 24/11/1964

Australia's first female Indigenous opera singer; in 2007, wrote “Pecan Summer,” Australia's first Indigenous opera, then trained the necessary Indigenous singers; “Pecan…

CLARK, Molly

Born 28/12/1922, Died 22/9/2012

Pioneer pastoralist of Northern Territory, having worked on Andado Station and then Old Andado Station (a 45 square kilometre area excised from the Andado Station lease). Pioneer of…

BULLWINKEL, Vivian

Born 18/12/1915, Died 3/07/2000

First female Trustee of Australian War Memorial. 1947 - She received the Florence Nightingale Medal.
1973 - Ms Bullwinkel received a MBE 1974 - Vivian was presented the Order of…

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ANDREW, Elizabeth

Born 1948, Died 12/4/1993

Also known as: Elizabeth Andrew-Oates

Northern Territory's first woman to hold an executive and Cabinet position. At first, she was the Executive Member for Education and Consumer Services, then for Education and Law…

DWYER, Catherine Winifred

Born 13/6/1861, Died 3/2/1949

Also known as: née Golding, Kate

In 1921, Kate Dwyer became one of the first women Justices of the Peace in New South Wales. 1905 - 1921 she was a member of the State Labor executive, and in 1908 and 1912, a delegate…

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MANN, Ida Caroline

Born 6/2/1893, Died 19/11/1983

Also known as: née Mann, Caroline Gye (pseudonym), Ida Gye (married name)

1949 - First person to diagnose Trachoma epidemic in Indigenous population in the Kimberley area of Western Australia.

KILROY, Debbie

Born 1961

Also known as: née Harding

Debbie is a prison reformer and founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sisters Inside Inc. In 2007, Debbie was the first person in Australian with serious convictions to be admitted by…

SMITH, Margaret Grace

Born 1928, Died 07/1995

Also known as: née Murray

Wife of first resident surveyor/engineer in Central Australia, David Douglas “D. D.” Smith.  Lived on block which is now D. D. Smith Park in Alice Springs Central Business District…

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DECKERT, Emma Emilie

… women who make up the complete European female population of the town of Stuart and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station in June 1901.  Stuart then consisted of one hotel, two…

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O'SHEA, Catherine

Also known as: née O’Keeffe

1918- Ran a boarding house at Emungalen (near Katherine, Northern Territory).
1927 - She and husband (Tim) built and ran The Railway Hotel in Katherine, Northern Territory.
1929 -…

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ROGERS, Nanette

First female Queen's Counsel (QC) in Alice Springs; despite declining press contact after her initial 2006 interview, became known for her public exposure of family violence in…

MIDDLETON, Doreen

Born 11/03/1912, Died 15/07/1985

Also known as: née Middleton

1931 - First person to ride a bicycle from Melbourne to Adelaide and return (both directions).
Aged 19 years, Doreen rode her bicycle from Melbourne to Adelaide (607 miles) in 4 days,…

VAN PRAAGH, Margaret

Born 1/09/1910, Died 15/01/1990

Also known as: Peggy

1962 - First Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet Company.
1966 - Appointed Order of the British Empire.
1970 - Appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
 2012…

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ALBRECHT, Minna Marie Margaretha

Born 11/12/1899, Died 18/11/1983

Also known as: née Gevers

Minna Gevers sailed to Canada from Germany to marry Friedrich Albrecht, who was there learning English for his new job as Superintendent at Hermannsburg Mission. Minna and Friedrich…

HAYES, Ann Jane

Born 25/06/1893

Also known as: née Doolan, Jane

Written on the back of the drawing:  Lived on Undoolya station for many years of her married life.  Upon retirement of her husband, the property of Undoolya went to Mr and Mrs Ted…

SOMERFIELD, Charlotte Bridget Godhauter

Born 28/11/1870, Died 30/7/1946

Also known as: née Jung

1921-26 - Had mail contract delivering by camel, between Oodnadatta, South Australia and Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Based at Old Crown Point Station, she and husband also ran…

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DIXON, Mary Isabel

Also known as: née Price, Molly

After her husband Fred's sudden death in 1924, Isobel Price decided to return to their property Harpers Springs Station, north-east of Stuart (Alice Springs) to work the station…

MILDRED, Beth

2000-08 - First woman elected president of Rotary in Central Australia.

RICHARDSON, Ethel Florence Lindesay

Born 3/01/1870, Died 20/03/1946

Also known as: née Richardson, Henry Handel Richardson, Ethel Robertson, Et, Ettie, Etta

1932 - First Australian woman to be nominated for The Nobel Prize for Literature.

COULTHARD, Kathleen Janet

Born 19/4/1906, Died 12/2005

Also known as: Kathleen Anderson (maiden name)

In 1927, with husband Roy, took up Kulgera Station and raised five children. Between 1927-1958, Roy and Kath developed Kulgera into a productive station, beginning first with sheep and…

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MCGOWAN, Emily Louisa

Also known as: nee Roberts

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MERRIFIELD, Rosalind

1965 - First Australian woman to fly the Pacific solo.
1966 - Awarded the Jean Lennox Bird trophy and the Nancy-Bird trophy. 1962 - She trained at the Royal Aero Club, New South…

PRIOR, Margaret

Chief pilot of Western Australia.

PERKINS, Rachel

Born 1970

Circa 1991 she became the youngest female Executive Producer at SBS Television. In 1995, Rachel won the first Indigenous Program Scholarship to the Australian Film Television and Radio…

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CHETTLE, May Venetta

Born 20/05/1906, Died 26/08/1997

Also known as: née Robb, May, Maise, formerly Lawrie

Maise Robb was the first teacher at the Bungalow, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, when it moved to the Old Telegraph Station during the 1930s.  She lived in town and drove to work…

ARCHER, Robyn

Born 18/6/1948

Also known as: Robyn Smith

In 1998 and 2000, Robyn Archer became the first woman in Australia to direct a major State Festival of the Arts. Robyn is the former Artistic Director of the National Festival of…

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LYLE, Nancy

1930s - First woman to fly to Tasmania. Only woman in Australia to fly for one of the Armed Forces. She held license No. 343 and frequently flew her Gipsy Moth interstate.Author of…

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SHUTTLE, Linda Joyce

Also known as: Sister Linda Mary, Reverend Sister Linda Mary

2009 - First Mother Superior of the Anglican Community of Sisters of the Church (CSC) (in the order's 140-year history) to live in Australia, instead of England.

HARLAND, Enid

Also known as: née Batchelor

Enid Harland has been a tireless worker for over twenty years, working with families of prisoners in Alice Springs and helping prisoners stay connected to their families. She…

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STONE, Sophie Muir

Born 1934

First woman to purchase a new Steiger tractor on her own behalf. Her photo is on the wall in US office of Steiger. Awarded a Conditional Purchase block of land to clear and develop for…

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KARTINYERI, Doreen Maude

Born 1935, Died 2/12/2007

Doreen Kartinyeri was a prominent Aboriginal activist and historian. She was a child of the stolen generation, worked as a domestic servant from the age of thirteen, had eight children…

MCBURNEY, Mona Margaret

Born 29/7/1862, Died 4/12/1932

1896 - became the fourth Bachelor of music graduate, and the first such woman graduate from an Australian university.
1926 - First woman to have her opera The Dalmatian performed in…

JOHNSON, Magdalene

Born 1/7/1905, Died 26/1/2010

Also known as: Maggie

Worked as drover, cook, teacher, carer. During World War II “she worked as a cook for hundreds of people” at the mission at Arltunga. At time of death, 2010, Alice Spring's oldest…

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MCNAMARA, Ella Jane

Pioneer of Blackwood district in South Australia.

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ROMARO, Cherie

Born 1950

Cherie was the first female radio music programmer, program director and radio network general manager in Australia. Featured in the book Women of Power (1990).

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SUTHERLAND, F

A handful of European women accompanied their husbands to the mines.  Mary Murphy, Betty O'Neil and F Sutherland signed a petition to get a polling booth there.

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GRADY, Dianne Jennifer

Born 31/7/1948

Also known as: nee Komor

First woman elected to McKinsey International partnership outside of USA. She was a “Global Thought Leader” in change management, organisation development and innovation. She was…

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KANGA, Marlene

First Australian woman to be President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations; has been an engineer for 30 years; founded a company specialising in safety, risk…

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ROSS, Ruby

Born 1887

Fanny's daughter, Ruby, was born in 1887 and Doris Blackwell (nee Bradshaw), writing in her memoir 'Alice on the Line' recalls staying several days with 'Mr and Mrs…

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APPLEBY, June

1985 - First woman in South Australian Parliament to become Government Whip in House of Assembly A member of the Australian Labor Party, June Appleby was elected as the Member for…

ANDERSON, Charlotte Morrison

Born 12/3/1915, Died 15/4/2002

Charlotte Anderson was an Australian pioneer of paediatric gastroenterology. She developed a clinical research program at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, where she…

BLACKWELL, Winifred Doris

Born 1/05/1891, Died 14/01/1983

Also known as: née Bradshaw, Doris

Wrote Alice On The Line.

KELLERMAN, Annette Marie Sarah

Born 6/7/1887, Died 6/11/1975

Also known as: Diving Venus, Australian Mermaid

Annette Kellerman was a swimming champion, a pioneer of physical culture, a vaudeville artiste and a film star. Childhood polio had made her take up swimming to strengthen her legs…