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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Kareena BALLARD
From 1996 – 1998, Kareena Ballard was the first female president of both the Real Estate Institute of WA and the Real Estate Institute of Australia. She was awarded the REIWA Kevin…
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Shane GOULD
Only woman in swimming to hold records for every freestyle distance simultaneously — 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m.
First woman to swim 1500m in under 17 minutes
1972 -… -
Marie Louise Hamilton MACK
Born 10/10/1870, Died 23/11/1935
Also known as: née Mack, registered as Mary Louisa, Louise Creed, Gouli Gouli, Louise Leyland, Mary Mack
1914 — First woman war correspondent, Belgium, reporting for the Evening News and the Daily Mail.
Late 1880s — Contributor to The Bulletin, an Australian magazine, Sydney.1896… -
Jennifer DAETZ
Also known as: Jenny
1997 — First female to command a commissioner R.A.N. Vessel ‘HMAS Shepperton’.
She joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1986, and has attained the rank of Captain.… -
Barbara Catherine SHAW
Born 1952
A town camp activist. Briefed her agenda to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
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Norma Jean FINDLEY
Born 19 September 1921, Died 2 January 2001
1950s — First woman in the Technical’s Schools Division to win a Fulbright Scholarship.
1978 — Honoured with a Life Governorship of Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital.Home… -
Alline Dawn LAWRIE
Born 3/11/1938
Also known as: Dawn
2003 — A recipient of the Tribute to Northern Territory.
Northern Territory Independent for Nightcliff for 12 years focussing on human rights. -
Helene Katharine Frieda BURNS
Also known as: née Albrecht
Daughter of Hermannsburg Mission pioneers Pastor Friedrich Wilhelm Albrecht and Minna Marie Margaretha née Gevers.
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Dorothy MORRELL
Also known as: Dot
1888 — Won the world’s first women’s bicycle race, Auburn, New South Wales.
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Virginia WYKES
Born 1949
1982 — Believed to be the first Aboriginal woman to gain her Private Pilot’s Licence (Cessna 150).
2001 — Only Aboriginal entrant to compete in Centenary of Federation London to… -
Sarah CHUNYS
Born 1984
2002 – Mental Health Week – “Sarah organised and hosted the first mental health community forum ever in Alice Springs”, Northern Territory.
5 April 2003 — Recipient, and the… -
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Irene Maud LONGMAN
Born 24/4/1877, Died 29/7/1964
Also known as: née Bayley
Representing Bulimba from 1929 – 1932, she was the first woman member of the Queensland Assembly, nearly 15 years after Queensland women were first granted the right to stand for…
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Mere RUMBAL
Owner and Director of Alice Springs Central Dance Theatre.2002 — Awarded world’s first honour by British Ballet organisation for 50 years service to the dance industry.
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Italia FLOREANI
Born 1916, Died 21/09/2012
Also known as: Flo, Ita
On 18 March 1940 Italia Floreani boarded the last but one passenger boat Romola to leave Italy after war was declared in Europe the previous year. With her 18-month-old daughter…
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Marcia June HREMEVIUC
Born 30 April 1950, Died 18 January 2017
Also known as: née Smith
1985 — First woman in Australia to be certified as a trainer for helicopter pilots.
2012 — Received 10,000 hours badge from Australian Women Pilots’ Association.
Arrived… -
Ann HOWE
Born 1802, Died 17 November 1842
Also known as: née Bird, Ann Bird, Ann Salmon, Ann Watt
1829 — First woman proprietor of a newspaper in Australia.
5 March 1803 — First newspaper published in Australia ‘Sydney Gazette & New South Wales Advertiser” was… -
Marjorie McGREGOR
In 1987, Marjorie McGregor was appointed Australia’s first female Archdeacon, one rank below a Bishop, the most senior level of ministry.
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Rosalba CLEMENTE
Rosalba Clemente is a writer, director and actor who became the first woman Artistic Director of State Theatre Company of South Australia from 199‑2004.
She majored in Drama… -
Sharon Lea Anne ANYOS
Born 13/10/1970
Also known as: Wildthing
Australia’s first female World Boxing Champion. First Australian woman to take out the inaugural Women’s Boxing Title in first ever ANBF & OBA sanctioned women’s…
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Alice Jean THOMAS
Born 1900
Also known as: née Bertram, Jean Thomas
1938 — Drove Buick (1936) car across Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory into Queensland then back to Tasmania with two women friends and her 7 year old twin sons.
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Marcia Lynne LANGTON
Born 31 October 1951
1993 — Awarded Member of the Order of Australia, for service as an anthropologist and advocate of Aboriginal issues.
2000 — Inaugural Professor of Australian Indigenous Studies,… -
Eva Mabel GARLAND
Born 30 June 1912
Also known as: née Lawrence, Mable
1990 — Received Advance Australia award.
1992 — Received Australian Day Citizenship award.
1995 — Recipient of Adult Learners’ Award.
1999 — Received Premier’s Seniors Achievement… -
Gladys REYNELL
Born 4 September 1881, Died 16 November 1956
Also known as: née Reynell, Gladys Osborne
Gladys Reynell was South Australia’s first studio potter and the first Australian artist to apply modernist principles to the crafts.
She was also an accomplished painter… -
Vicki DARKEN
Born 1929, Died 3/05/2014
Also known as: née Ormond
The first Miss Northern Territory (Vicki Ormond); married (1942) to Constable Bob Darken, their tent honeymoon gave Honeymoon Gap its name; a “pioneer” who lived in rough…
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Vicki TAYLOR
2009 — Telstra Northern Territory Business Woman of the Year.
General Manager — Alice Springs Hospital (2004- ). -
Margaret HEWITT
2009 — Together with David HEWITT, both received the Order of Australia Medal for their work on bush communities and recording oral histories of indigenous people.
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Mabel Mary TAYLOR
Mabel Taylor, one of the Bradshaw’s governesses, shocked the locals by wearing a divided skirt on horseback instead of riding side saddle as was customary for women in c1905.Doris…
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Jean Dorothy GARDINER
Also known as: Dorothy
“The 14th woman in Australia to hold a private license and possibly only the second to own her own plane.”
1929 — With Bobbie TERRY was first women in New South Wales/Australia to… -
Amelia KUNOTH
Born 1880s, Died 1984
Also known as: née Pavey
Pioneer with husband, H.E. “Trot” Kunoth in early development of pastoral properties Utopia, Tempe Downs, and others.
Amelia’s father Ted Pavey operated the… -
Edith Agnes HUBBE
Born 1859, Died 2 April 1942
Also known as: née Cook, Edith Agnes Cook, Edith Agnes Hübbe
The first woman to matriculate at the University of Adelaide; she received her diploma (necessary for degree level studies) in 1877 despite the fact women were not admitted to the…
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Kathleen Mary MAHONY
Born 8/1/1908, Died 30/04/2003
Also known as: née O'Shea, Kath
Pioneer as policeman’s wife at Roper River, Lake Nash, Arltunga, and Anthony’s Lagoon. Managers of Larrimah Hotel, Northern Territory (owned by O’Shea family -…
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Michelle NYKAMP
Australia’s first woman to gain a Dangerous Goods Licence.
Road Train Driver — Travels 250,000kms a year in a 50m rig. -
Hanna NEUMANN
Born 12/02/1914, Died 14/11/1971
Also known as: née Johanna von Caemmerer
1964 — First female Professor of Pure Mathematics at Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
1946 – 63 — Hanna was a Lecturer
and Senior Lecturer… -
Eunice May CAIRNS
Born 16 August 1921, Died 21 January 2010
Also known as: Teddy
Served during World War II. Worked at ‘The Truth’ newspaper, Radio 3AW, Channel 9, Channel 0, Conair Airlines, and 8CCC FM. Known as the White Witch of Alice Springs by her…
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Lauren Elizabeth JACKSON
Born 11/5/1981
Also known as: Jacko, LJ, Loz
Regarded as Australia’s greatest ever female basketball player. Led the team to four Olympic silver medals. Chosen to carry the Australian flag in the 2012 Olympics.…
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Annie Jean MACNAMARA
Born 1/4/1899, Died 13/10/1968
Also known as: Jean, Jean Connor
First woman Resident Medical Officer at Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
In May 1923 Jean, with high recommendations, was appointed resident at the (Royal) Children’s… -
Robyn ARCHER
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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Mary Gertrude DURACK
Born 20 February 1913, Died 16 December 1994
Also known as: Dame Mary Durack, Virgilia, Aunt Mary, Mary Miller
31 December 1977 — Appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), for her services to literature.
12 June 1989 — Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia… -
Deborah CLARKE
Artist. Teaches Fine Arts at the university level (Tafe, New South Wales and Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory). She creates using a variety of media (creative writing,…
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Bertha BEECROFT
Born 15 July 1906, Died 19 December 1996
Also known as: Bertha Rosen
1972 — Member (Civil) of The Order of the British Empire, Community.
1976 – 1977 — First woman chair of Lotteries Commission of Western Australia.
1954 – 1984 — Ms. Beecroft was a… -
Marjorie Florence LAWRENCE
Born 17 February 1907, Died 13 January 1979
1946 — Received the cross of the Légion d’honneur, France.
1976 — Appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Former singer who, after… -
Susannah RUNTING
Born 11/3/1842, Died 30/5/1933
Also known as: née Kidd
First white baby born in Geelong, Victoria.
When she died, she was one of Victoria’s oldest Victoria-born residents. Her parents claimed that she was the second… -
Fanny ROSS
Born 3 July 1859, Died 4 February 1930
Also known as: née Wallis, Fanny Blackmore Wallis, Fanny Cochrane Wallis
Fanny Ross was one of the first English speaking white women at the heart of Australia. In 1885 she joined her husband Alexander, manager of Undoolya Station. She had her piano…
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Nelle Isabel LAW
Died June 1990
Also known as: née Allan, Nel Law
1960 – 61 — As the wife of the scientist and explorer Phillip Law, she was the first Australian women to set foot in Antarctica when she travelled with her husband to the Mawson…
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May Victoria BROWN
Born 24 May 1875, Died 23 July 1939
Also known as: née Weedon (aka Wheedon), "The Wolfram Queen"
Pioneer of Northern Territory.1921 – 1926 — The first publican to win the lease on The Victoria Hotel in Darwin.1928 – 1930 — Bought and managed the Pine Creek Hotel, Pine Creek, Northern…
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Sarah Johnston CHINNERY
Born 30 January 1887, Died 24 March 1970
Also known as: née Neill
The “second woman in England to have” a motorbike.
“The first woman to ride a lady’s bicycle in” Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.
Sarah set herself the task of recording her… -
Nicole Mary KIDMAN
Born 20 June 1967
Acclaimed Australian actress, winner of an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in the film The Hours (2002). In 2003, Kidman received a Star on the…
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Adrienne WILLING
Born 1972
First Centralian woman to enter Ms Fitness category of International Body Building Association Victorian titles in Melbourne (2002).