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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June Mary BRONHILL
Born 26 June 1929, Died 24 January 2005
Also known as: née Gough
Australian National Opera and Sadler’s Wells Opera Company Singer. Winner of Sydney Eisteddfod and Sun Aria Prize. 1949 came third in Sydney Eisteddfod behind Joan Sutherland.…
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Mary ADLER
Born 17 February 1862, Died 8 June 1897
Also known as: née Millar
Mary Adler came from Murtoa in the Wimmera. In 1893, she and her husband selected land at Lalbert, near Swan Hill, which they settled with their five sons. She died at 36 years of…
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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…
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Adele Viola PURVIS
A pastoral matriach from Woodgreen Station, Adele was the first person to donate a box of papers to the Alice Springs office of the Northern Territory Archives when it opened in 2003.…
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Louisa Ann MEREDITH
Born 20/07/1812, Died 21/10/1895
Also known as: née Twamley
1880 — First women in Australia to design a postage stamp. She sketched the platypus on a Tasmanian Duty Stamp. Two years later these stamps were authorised for postal use.…
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Jennifer MILLS
Born 1977
Australian novelist, short story writer and poet.
Won 1st and 2nd prizes in the Alice Springs News Short Story Competition, 2007. -
Eileen STOTT
Born 1912, Died 26/06/1999
Also known as: née O'Shea
Born in Pine Creek, Northern Territory. Pioneer of Northern Territory.1940 — Married Gordon STOTT (son of Robert STOTT, Northern Territory’s first Commissioner of Police).
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Eileen Beryl DAVIS
Born 1887, Died 16 July 1978
Also known as: née Atkinson
1920 — The first woman in Victoria to be granted a license to ride at registered race meetings.
Pioneer of the Birchip/Wimmera district of Victoria.Trainer of race and… -
Mary Jane DOUGLAS
Born 9 October 1958
Also known as: née Gillett
First woman employed nationally by Federated Storeman and Packers Union.
1996 – 2002 — A member of the Australian Labor Party, representing Werribee. The seat was abolished.… -
Joy BALUCH
Born 10 October 1932, Died 14 May 2013
Also known as: Nancy Joy Copley, Nancy Joy Baluch
Joy Baluch was the first woman mayor of Port Augusta, South Australia. She presided as mayor for 29 years over 3 terms; 15 years on the Local Government Association executive and…
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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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Helen Charmaine BEH
Born 31/7/1941, Died 7/2/2012
Helen Beh was the first woman to achieve following positions in the Science Faculty at the University of Sydney: Senior Lecturer in Psychology (1972−1988; ); Associate Professor; Head…
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Edith Antonia McDONALD
Also known as: née Bohning, Edie
The two Bohning girls, Elsie and Edie, were famous for their station work.Esther Bohning and her daughters, Elsie and Edith, from Helen Springs Station north of Tennant Creek, were…
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Georgia LE PLASTRIER
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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Johanna WENDLER
One of the first women police in the Northern Territory. All commenced their recruit training (with a number of men) in February 1961, and the course “passed out” on 10…
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Esther JACOBS
Born 6/4/1900, Died 27/1/1991
Also known as: nee Solomon
1975 — First woman deputy Lord Mayor (Adelaide City Council). 1978 — Resigned after 22 years continuous service.
First woman governor of the Adelaide Festival of Arts.… -
Wilhelmina SMITH
Born 1886, Died 24 June 1975
Also known as: Bill, Girlie, William
“Bill” Smith was Australia’s first woman jockey.
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Vera Agnes FOWLER
Born 27 December 1917, Died 13 February 2002
First honorary legal advisor during growth of Girl Guides Association.
Pioneering woman lawyer.1996 — Foundation member of ‘Emily’s List’. -
Kylie BELL
2005 — First Alice Springs female to be a National Netball League Umpire.
2006 — Young Centralian of the Year. -
Heather McDonald SUTHERLAND
Born 25 May 1903, Died 1953
Also known as: née Moir
1940s — Probably Australian Capital Territory’s first female architect.
Half-sister of the opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland. -
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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Shirley ANDERSON
1 of 2 first women Air Traffic Controllers in Australia (Sydney Airport 1960).
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Gwendoline Adelaide MEYERS
Also known as: Gwen, Gwendolin
Annie Williams arrived in Alice Springs in the late 1890s. Here she married Charlie Meyers (aka Aaron Schunke), the local saddler. They had four children: Dorothy Annie, Herman John…
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Emma Louise GEORGE
Born 1 November 1974
1995 – 2000 — World record pole vaulter (17 times; 12 in a row during the 1990s), which includes Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games and World University Games, Olympic Games, World…
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Lalla TRUGERNANNER
Born 1812, Died 8 May 1876
Also known as: Truganini, Trucanini, Trucaninny, Lalla Rooke
One of the foremost Tasmanian Aboriginal leaders of the 1800s, negotiator and spokesperson for her people.
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Barbara ABLEY AM
Barbara Abley was elected in March 2001 to the Council of the City of Greater Geelong (Victoria) before becoming elected as Deputy Mayor later that year.
In 2002 she became the first… -
Margaret BLACKWOOD
Born 26 April 1909, Died 1 June 1986
Also known as: Dame Margaret Blackwood
First woman Deputy Cancellor at Melbourne University. First woman appointed Honorary Life Member by the Association of Women on Campus Melbourne University. OBE 1981. First constructor…
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Patricker Catherine Bridgett HOLDEN
Born 5 April 1913, Died 19 February 1997
Also known as: née Callahan, Pat
Established Pat Holden Fashions, a ladies dress shop in Alice Springs. Worked for Mona MINAHAN in her dress shop originally.
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Molly CLARK
Born 28 December 1922, Died 22 September 2012
Pioneer pastoralist of Northern Territory, at Andado Station and then Old Andado Station.
Pioneer of the Central Australian tourism industry
Founder of National Pioneer… -
Stacey WEST
1994 — First Northern Territory netballer to make an Australian Netball Squad.
Northern Territory open netball coach. -
Cathy GREEN
Born 27 April 1972
Equestrian — Australian/Asian Record Jumping Champion.
1990 — World Women’s High Jump Record — 7 feet 11 1⁄2 inches at Cairns Show (formerly held by Guy CREIGHTON).
1982 -… -
Jane FRANKLIN
Born 4 December 1791, Died 18 July 1875
Also known as: née Griffin, Lady Franklin
Wife of Sir John FRANKLIN, Governor of Tasmania between 1837 – 1843. She was a controversial reformer for the welfare of convicts and public education
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Roberta Henrietta JULL
Born 1872, Died 1961
Also known as: née Stewart, Roberta Ferguson-Stewart
Scottish born and Glasgow-trained, she joined her brother’s practice in Western Australia and then set up her own in Perth in 1897, becoming Western Australia’s first woman…
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Julia Teresa FLYNN
Born 24 January 1878, Died 14 October 1947
1928 — First woman Chief Inspector of Schools.
March 1912 — Obtained university degree, Melbourne, Victoria.1914 — Appointed inspector of secondary schools, “at a time when… -
Susan RIDE
Also known as: née Higgins
1966 — Leader of Australia’s first all Aboriginal Brownie pack.
Centralian of the Year with Sister Eileen HEATH.
1986 — Presented with Banksia Award for service to Guiding in… -
Nova Maree PERIS
Born 25 February 1971
Also known as: née Peris, Nova Peris-Kneebone
1996 — First Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic Gold Medal.
1997 — Named Young Australian of the Year.
2000 — First carrier of the Olympic flame on Australia Soil at Uluru,… -
Rose SCOTT
Born 8 October 1847, Died 20 April 1925
First president of a women’s committee of the Prisoner’s Aid Association in 1898.
Known as the voice of women’s suffrage in Sydney.Campaigned for the education… -
Kirsty SWORD
Born 19/04/1966
Also known as: née Sword, Kirsty Sword-Gusmao, Ruby Blade
2005 — First Australian woman to be First Lady of East Timor (married President Xanana Gusmao).
June 2015 — Sword Gusmão was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia… -
Elizabeth COSSON
Born 1958
Elizabeth Cosson was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Major General, making her the first Australian woman to reach “two-star” rank in the Australian Army. Prior to that…
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Bronwyn Nancy DONAGHY
Born 21/12/1948, Died 23/07/2002
Also known as: née Simeon, Frances Storm
Journalist/Author of books on youth suicide and sex education. Wrote Anna’s Story (Anna Wood died after taking an Ecstasy tablet at a “Rave’ Party.” Anna’s…
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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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Patricia Irene JARRETT
Born 9/3/1911, Died 28/8/1990
Also known as: Pat. Nee Herschell. Her names were registered as Irene Herschell, but she was always known as Patricia.
Grand Old Lady of the Melbourne Herald. Editor of Women’s pages in the Daily Sun. Celebrated 25 years of continuous service with the Herald and Weekly Times — the only woman…
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Enid Esther MATHER
Died 10/1998
Also known as: née L'Estrange, Esther L'Estrange, Esther Mather
1938 — First woman captain of Queensland Aerobatic Team.
1968 — Awarded the Paul Dissandier Diploma by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
1971 — Awarded the Nancy Bird… -
Gwendoline Alice BURROWS
Born 16 August 1913, Died 26 December 2006
Also known as: Gwen
Mother of Sir Robert Stigwood, entrepreneur. First Entrant in Arthritis Foundation’s Grandmother of the Year Quest. South Australia supporter of Variety Club and Zonta.
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Anna Wilhelmine Charlotte Dorothea SCHWARZ
Also known as: née Schultz (Schultz, Schultze), Wilhelmine
The first white women to settle in Central Australia were Dorothea Queckenstedt and Wilhelmine Schulze from Germany, the wives of missionaries Kempe and Schwarz. They arrived at…
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Joyce Debenham SEAGER
Born 20/09/1899, Died 7/09/1991
Also known as: née Tearne, Joy, Joyce Debenham HENNIKER
January 1925 — First woman doctor at Kingscote, on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. She was the sole medical practitioner, pharmacist, and dentist.
1945 — She was the only doctor… -
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 -… -
Lillian Rose SAVAGE
Died 17/10/2012
1965 — Arrived with husband Bob and six children at Suplejack Downs (in Tanami Desert) in virgin country and made a working station (15,000 sq. miles).