Edith Cowan - Australia'a first woman member of parliament

Edith Cowan
photograph
neg.2483
National Library of Australia

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA'S
FEDERATION GATEWAY


COWAN, EDITH DIRCKSEY (1861-1932)

Social worker and politician, was born at Geraldton, W.A. on 2 August 1861, the daughter of K. Brown, pastoralist, and his wife Mary nee Wittenoom. In 1879 Edith married James Cowan, registrar and master of the Supreme Court. When he was appointed police magistrate, Mrs. Cowan became interested in social questions: the franchise for women, day nurseries, and the boarding-out system.

In 1915 she was appointed a member of the Bench of the newly formed Children's Court, on which she sat for 18 years. During World War I she was a leading member of Red Cross and took part in various war-time activities; in 1920 she became a Justice of the Peace and was appointed OBE.

In 1921 Mrs. Cowan was elected to the Legislative Assembly and became the first woman member of any parliament in Australia. She lost her seat in 1924 but she had succeeded in amending the Administration Act so that mothers were placed on an equality with fathers when their children died intestate, and in introducing the Women's Legal Status Act.

She died in Perth on 9 June 1932.


Books of interest

Cowan, Edith Dircksey. (1996). The voice of Edith Cowan, Australia's First Woman Parliamentarian 1921-1924. Harry C.J. Phillips; illustrator, Gaye Godfrey. Perth, W.A: Edith Cowan University.

Cowan, Peter. (1978). A Unique Position: a Biography of Edith Dircksey Cowan, 1861-1932/ Nedlands, W.A.: University of Western Australia Press.

Wycherley, Paul. Mrs. (1997). Cowan's Clock: the Location of the Edith Cowan Memorial. Churchlands, W.A: Edith Cowan University.

The National Library of Australia has a biographical cuttings file for Edith Cowan.

 

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