Edith Cowan

Edith Cowan was an Australian reformer, social activist and the first woman to be elected to the Australian parliament. Edith Cowan or Edith Dircksey live in western Australia.She was at the age of 17, on 12 November 1879, Edith Cowan married James Cowan, who was a Registrar and Master of the Supreme Court. In 1890, her husband worked as a Perth police magistrate and this provided Edith Cowan the chance to do social reform. In 1909, she played an active role in the foundation of the Women’s Service Guild and acted as the vice-president of the Guild from 1909-17. With the help of public-meetings, fund-raising ceremonies and government lobbying, the Guild was able to establish the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women in 1916. She was one of the strongest contenders for the democratic rights of women to enter parliament and the legislation was passed in 1920. In 1921 general elections, she was elected from West Perth and became the first female parliamentarian who stood for women’s welfare and rights during her tenure. Her picture was on the australian Fifty Dollars bank note