Women's Museum of Australia presents the
HerStory Archive
This is a collection of stories which tell of the achievements of over 1,500 pioneering women in various fields. We are proud that our HerStory Archive brings Australian women and their achievements to light, and we hope that you enjoy discovering these inspiring women.
This archive contains more information about some women than others. As a small, not-for-profit museum, our limited resources often prevent us from collecting as much information as we would like. The information we do have, however, brings Australian women and their achievements to light. If you have additional information on any woman who features in our Herstory Archive, please contribute it here.
HerStory Home
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Amanda DEAN
First female plumber’s apprentice/graduate of Frankston, Victoria, Technical and Further Education (TAFE).
First female plumber in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. -
Evangelia PARKER
Born 16 January 1908, Died 3 October 2005
Also known as: née Dioctitis, Ellen
A migrant from Greek Island of Kastellorizo who arrived in Darwin in early 1900s. Father worked on building railway line from Pine Creek to Katherine River.
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Gwen PETERSON
Gwen became C.E.O. of Peterson Industries Pty. Ltd. after her husband Max passed away in 2002.
The Company had its beginnings in 1948, when it was set up in an old stone barn in a… -
Juliet E M STAWELL
1916 — One of the first women (along with Annie Littlejohn) to enroll in Architecture at Melbourne University — did not complete course.
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Mabel Montana CRICKETT
Born 1897, Died April 1983
Also known as: née Forrest, Mabs
Pioneer of Eyre Peninsular, South Australia. Charity volunteer from age 11.Taught CWA handicrafts — in Girl Guides movement, Red Cross, and Mission to Seamen.
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Constance Caroline LETCH
Born 1868, Died 29 August 1958
Also known as: née Letch, Connie, Connie Carter
Connie Letch was Western Australia’s first “Lady Telephonist” appointed in 1887, and connected the first telephone call 1 Dececmber 1887.
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Eliza HARRIS
Also known as: née Deed
Wife of an Alice Springs Telegraph Station telegraph operator.
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Ann CALDWELL
Born 1820, Died 1890
Also known as: née Mooney, Annie
In 1864, aged 44, widowed, with seven of her children, she travelled in a covered wagon for eight weeks 900 kilometres overland from Gumeracha (northeast of Adelaide), South Australia…
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Natalie Rona MILLER
Natalie Miller became Australia’s first female independent film distributor and the Victorian Film Corporation’s first woman board member.
2001 — Awarded Medal of the Order… -
Jill KNIGHT
Born 1946
Jill has lived aboard, sailed, and maintained her historical gaff cutter, Cooee, since 1983. She left Australia with Cooee’s previous owner, New Zealander Peter Cree, and bought the…
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Jo VAN SON
Member (Robyn Fox, Georgia Le Plastrier, Jenny McKenzie, Jo Van Son) of the first Australian all-female canoe team to make the full descent of the Yukon River (United States).
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Cathy SALVAIR
Born 17/10/1963
Cathy has flown tour groups around Australia. She has endorsements in aerobatics, formation flying, and float planes.
1987 — Won the Lady Casey Scholarship.
1979 — Her first… -
Rosetta Jane BIRKS
Born 12 March 1856, Died 3 October 1911
Also known as: née Thomas, Rose
Christian women’s leader active in many areas including welfare of girls and suffrage.
Presided over several Baptist women’s associations, including a mother’s union,… -
Eileen Maxwell WARD
Born 06/03/1918, Died 27/07/2001
Also known as: née Taylor
COLSON of Aileron Station
Pioneer of Western Australia. Helped establish Glenayle Station with husband, Henry. Life Member of National Pioneer Women’s’ Hall of… -
Elsie ELIAS
First Honorary Secretary of the Dawson Highway Brigalow Settler’s Association.
Pioneer of central Queensland on cattle property at Moura, Queensland. -
Martha BURNS
Born 27 April 1873, Died 5 March 1959
One of the first qualified female dentists in Australia. Martha Burns and (Frances) Dorothy Gray were the first women in Australia to graduate in Dental Surgery through the University…
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Janet Gertrude PALMER
Born 18/08/1885, Died 19/10/1964
Also known as: née Higgins, Nettie
Author (with husband Vance Palmer) of Nurturer and other Australian stories.
2001 — Inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. -
Mary READY
Born 1834, Died 06 April 1902
Also known as: née Hayes
First white woman in Mackay area of Queensland.
Pioneer of the Mackay area, Queensland. Wife of bullocky James READY. -
Jean SMITH
When Mrs Ida Standley was employed as schoolmistress to the children of Stuart and matron of The Bungalow, Topsy became her assistant. Two of Topsy’s children, Ada and Jean, were…
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Mary Harriet GRIFFITH
Born 4 November 1849, Died 27 July 1930
Early pioneer in Uniting Congregational Church in Queensland.Harriett Griffith Memorial Door — YWCA Headquarters, Brisbane, Queensland and credited for “revitalising and overseeing its…
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Jane Catharine TOST
Born 1817, Died 24 April 1889
Also known as: née Ward
Probably the first female taxidermist in Australia (Sydney 1860s).
Maybe first woman to be employed in a professional capacity in any Australian Museum (Tasmania 1856). -
Rosemary PARKIN
Australia’s foremost Lacemaker. Has correspondence courses in lacemaking and written an instruction book.1981 — Vice Chairman of The Australian Lace Guild.Conducts weekly lace…
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Sally HENDERSON
She is an anthropologist from Queensland.Sally and her husband, Jeremy, established a privately funded elephant and endangered animal research program, Elefriends, and has devoted her…
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Mary Roberta/Mary Sylvie OWEN
Born 8 February 1921, Died 23 March 2017
Also known as: née Evans, Molly
1975 — Founded and co-ordinated the Working Women’s Centre. “The WWC was an independent lobby and research group on women’s issues in employment. Mary Owen and Sylvie Shaw…
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Beryl Grace McINTOSH
Died 12/1/2013
Also known as: née Hansen
Some of her awards:1999 — Received International Women’s Day award.2000 — Selected to carry Sydney 2000 Olympics torch.2001 — Received Centenary medal.2002 — Awarded Palmerston Proud…
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Florence Isabel BJELKE-PETERSEN
Born 11 August 1920, Died 20 December 2017
Also known as: née Gilmour, Lady Bjelke-Petersen, Lady Flo, Lady Florence, Senator Bjelke-Petersen
Possibly first woman senator.
1980 — Queensland Senator (National Party), Australian Parliament Senate.1985 – 1990 — Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Senate.1993 — Retired from… -
Marie Roslyn BASHIR
Born 1 December 1930
Also known as: Dr Bashir, Marie Shehadie, Dame Marie Bashir
From 2001 – 2009, Marie Bashir was New South Wales’ first female Governor; in 2001, she was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia; from 2007 – 2012, she was the Chancellor…
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Anne Isabella DARCY FOWLER
Born 24 July 1911, Died 13 June 2003
Also known as: née Darcy, Ann, Annie
Annie was one of the first female drovers, and it is believed that she and her brothers photos adorn the walls at Daly Waters Pub as chararcters of the Territory.
Annie was part of a… -
Telka Alathea WILLIAMS
Died 27 April 2018
Also known as: née Rowe, Althea Telka Rowe, Alathea Telka Rowe
One of the first women in the Northern Territory public service to be granted equal pay.
1977 — Telka was made Member of the Order of the British Empire.
1956 – 1984 — Telka… -
Diana Roselyn TRASK
Born 23/06/1940
Also known as: née Trask
1985 — First woman to sing at the Victorian Football League Grand Final.
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Patricia Ann TURNER
Born 23/09/1952
Also known as: Pat
First Aboriginal woman to head a government department in Canberra.
Top Commonwealth Indigenous public servant.Chief Executive Officer of National News Service (National… -
Elizabeth Andreas EVATT
Born 11 November 1933
Australian reformist lawyer and jurist. A leading trailblazer, her support of women’s civil and human rights has left Australia with a significant and lasting legacy. A woman with…
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Raelene BOYLE
Born 24/6/1951
Raelene Boyle was an Olympic champion sprinter. She won the Silver Medal at the Mexico Olympics (1968) at 16 yrs of age — which, at the time, was the youngest Australian medal winner.…
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Catherine O'SHEA
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 -… -
Hazel Clarence GOLDER
Born 29 March 1894, Died 1984
1930s — Ran one of the first guest houses in Alice Springs, named “The Bushman’s Rest.” It was in an area situated between Shell Todd and Murray Neck’s Video…
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Sallyanne ATKINSON
Born 23 July 1942
Also known as: née Kerr
1985 – 1991 — First female Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland. First Liberal member to become Mayor.
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Daphne CALDER
Born 5 January 1924, Died 15 October 2013
Also known as: née Campbell, Daphne Calder
Pictured here at Emily Gap outside Alice Springs, she starred opposite Australian acting legend chips Rafferty in The Overlanders, a classic movie being the first to show…
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Sandy TAYLOR
Alice Springs first Aboriginal female Alderman.
Daughter of HerStory Archive entry Emmie WEHR. -
Jean St George KERR
Born 31/12/1922, Died 13/3/2013
1946 — Australia’s second full-time university accounting academic and the first such female appointee, University of Melbourne.
1956 — Her ”Three Concepts of Business… -
Gracia BAYLOR
Born 8 October 1929
Also known as: Gracia Parry-Okeden, Gracia Freeman
Gracia Baylor was the first woman President of Shire of Healesville, Victoria (1977) during 12 year stint as municipal Councillor; in 1973 – 74 she was the president of the Victorian…
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Mary Ellinor Lucy ARCHER
Born 13 November 1893, Died 3 May 1979
Also known as: Ellinor Archer professionally
Mary Archer was CSIRO’s first woman scientist, and chief librarian from 1923 – 1954. She is commemorated by the Library Association of Australia’s Ellinor Archer award, first…
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Jillian Kay TEUBNER
Born 19/10/1941, Died 12/11/2002
First female Woodville High School Student to gain a PhD.
First South Australian woman to gain a PhD in Organic Chemistry.
Scientist and Medical Educator. -
Estelle Muriel Bridson CRIBB
Born 26 February 1877, Died 5 November 1947
Also known as: Dess, Dessie
1901 — First woman to graduate from Sydney University with a Master of Arts and a Mathematics Degree with Honours.
1892 — Estelle was a first day pupil at Ipswich Girls… -
Ellen Sarah KETTLE
Born 21/4/1922, Died 2/8/1999
Also known as: Sister Kettle, "hook and eye sister"
Nurse of remote Australia, Papua New Guinea, Queensland and Timor.
Foundation member of northern Territory Chapter of the College of Nursing of Australia.1967 — Author of Gone… -
Rosina Mary EDMUNDS
Born 31 May 1900, Died 23 April 1956
Also known as: Rosette
The 1950s witnessed Rosette Edmunds becoming the first woman president of a chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA), not to be repeated for another 30 years.
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Kim ISAACS
First Yawuru and Kalapirri person to become a doctor.
Kim Isaacs is a Yawuru, Kalapirri and Noongar woman.
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Western… -
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Ellen PERRY
Born 1908, Died 2005
Also known as: Nell
The Perry family arrived in Tennant Creek in 1934 to search for gold. Nell lived in Adelaide with their three children for around 10 years, having a distance relationship, before…