“Sir, I think it’s high time that women should be selected for parliament.” “Oh you do, do you?” “Yes sir.” “Then let’s have a vote.”

FIVE DAYS LATER.

“On this day in 1921 she will be the first woman in Australian history to become part of our parliament.” “Edith Cowan, you will be part of parliament.” And that is only part of her story, let me continue…

Edith Cowan was born in 1861 on a sheep station near Geraldton, Western Australia. When Edith was seven, her mother Mary, a teacher, died giving birth to her sixth child. Soon afterwards, Edith’s father Kenneth sent her to boarding school in Perth. Later Kenneth was executed for shooting his second wife dead.

As an 18 years old, Edith Cowan married James Cowan who, later, became a magistrate. The couple settled in the inner-city suburb of West Perth and had four daughters and a son.

Her husband’s career gave Edith a view into the many ill effects of poverty and poor education. So she got actively involved in public life from the 1890s, mainly advocating on behalf of women and children. She also did stuff with voting. She helped with the establishment of the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women in 1916.

Edith Cowan fought against domestic violence, drunkenness and spoke openly about venereal disease, prostitution, contraception, illegitimacy and sex crimes. She campaigned for women to become justices of the peace and was made one herself in 1919.

‘Western Australian women got the vote in 1899 but it wasn’t until 1920 that they were allowed to run for Parliament. Neither right was available to Aboriginal women, who were disenfranchised until 1962. Edith Cowan ran for the lower house seat of West Perth for the Nationalists Party (precursor to the Liberal Party) in 1921.’ - NSW Gov Museum

To start off with, Cowan did not want to go for parliament because of people being bitter of a woman in parliament. She was right. But on the 12 of march 1921 she won and got into parliament.

Edith Cowan died on 1932, aged 70. In 1990 a university was named after her, and five years later the Reserve Bank decided to portray her on the new polymer $50 bill.

• She Wrote her own book called ‘How to be a kickass woman.’

• She is on the $50 note.

• She has a university named after her.