Learning more

Women appear rarely and fleetingly in written histories of the Bellarine Peninsula, yet local women have blazed many trails for their gender and for the community in general.

Who was Queen Eliza?

“Queen Eliza” was a Wathaurong woman who came to prominence in the mid-nineteenth century. However, there are no written records of her, other than that she was the wife of Dan Dan Nook and that she died and was buried in Portarlington in 1863. On this panel, a coolamon (a traditional collecting vessel used by Aboriginal women) pays tribute to her memory.

What was the 1891 ‘Monster’ Women’s Suffrage petition?

In the nineteenth century, local women campaigned for women's suffrage, i.e. for women to have the vote. In 1891, 68 Drysdale women (out of Drysdale's total population of 340) signed the Women’s Suffrage petition. Women’s rights activists like Isabella Goldstein and her daughter Vida had travelled around the state of Victoria for six weeks, collecting signatures for the petition.

30,000 Victorian women from all walks of life signed the petition. When complete, it was 260 metres long - the largest known petition of the 19th Century, inspiring similar efforts across Australia and the world. Leading female activists hoped that suffrage would enable women to influence liquor laws; introduce playgrounds and schools; create a higher age of consent for girls; and create equal pay for women and greater equality around land ownership and divorce.

The 1891 petition failed to gain women the right to vote in Victoria, but it demonstrated women’s growing determination to fight for their rights. In December 1894, the South Australian Parliament became the first in Australia, and only the second in the world, to give women the right to vote; and in 1901 Australia became the first nation in the world to give women both the right to vote and the right to stand for Parliament.

An historical aside. Women in Victoria first received the vote by default in 1863, when faulty drafting of the Electoral Act allowed all ratepayers (including women) listed on local municipal rolls to vote. The success was short lived: in 1865, the Legislative Assembly changed the clause so that only male ratepayers could vote in parliamentary elections. (Culture Victoria)

Why purple, green and white?

Twentieth century suffragettes adopted the colours purple, green and white as their emblem or symbol, using them in everything from ribbons, brooches and hatpins to bicycles.

White symbolised purity in public and private life; purple symbolised dignity and self-respect; and green symbolised hope and new life.

Originally, the colours were a way to distinguish the Women’s Social and Political Union from other suffrage organisations; later, they came to symbolise the broader ideas of sisterhood and solidarity. 20^th century feminists evoked those same broad ideas using a variation on the scientific symbol for “female” ; an example is in this panel.

(In 1911, Margaret Fisher - wife of the Australian Prime Minister – wore purple, green and white when marching in London to support votes for British women. Remember: in 1901 Australia became the first nation in the world to give women both the right to vote and the right to stand for Parliament. Ten years later, the ‘mother of all parliaments’ in Britain was still resisting the idea.)

WHO WAS ANNE DRYSDALE?

Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcombe were trailblazing pastoralists on the Bellarine Peninsula. At its height, their “Coryule” estate employed managers, housekeepers, cooks, shepherds, maintenance men and labourers. They helped to establish and support the Drysdale Methodist Church and Caroline became involved in community and civic affairs.

Anne Drysdale (1792 -1853) came to Australia in 1840 from Scotland, where she had run a farm for many years. She lived for a time with Dr. Alexander Thompson near Geelong, where she met Caroline Newcombe. The two women formed a partnership and established a property – “Boronggoop” - between the Barwon River and Corio, before establishing the “Coryule” property in 1843 and moving into the newly-built gothic home in 1848.

When Anne Drysdale died in 1853, she left all her property to Caroline Newcombe, who continued to run “Coryule” estate until her marriage 1861, after which it was managed on her behalf until she died in 1874. Caroline is buried beside her friend and partner Anne in Geelong's Eastern Cemetery.

What are Drysdale women’s continuing achievements?

Drysdale women became prominent in many walks of life:

• Pioneer pastoralists. E.g. Anne Drysdale (1792 – 1853) and Caroline Elizabeth Newcombe (1812 – 1874) created "Coryule" – the house and the estate. The panel shows the two women and the house.
• Elected representatives in government. E.g. Gwennyth Maddison was the first female President, Bellarine Shire Council 1983 – 1985; Lisa Neville is the first and and only female Member for Bellarine in the Victorian Legislative Assembly (2002 - ).
• Prominent educators. E.g. Mrs. McAdam (nee Allen) was an early teacher at Drysdale Primary School (late 1930s); Norma Jean Mortimer established Drysdale Kindergarten (1964).
• Prominent health workers. E.g. Gwendoline Margaret Cunningham was midwife at Drysdale’s Bush Nursing Hospital (1948); Drysdale woman Lyn McInnies was Aboriginal Health Liaison Officer at Geelong Hospital (1984).
• Community leaders. E.g. Esther Conboy was appointed as Drysdale’s first official postmistress (1882); Eva Deeath was the District Commissioner of the Girl Guides (1957) – the Girl Guides logo is on the panel.

Who are the WOMEN OF THE CWA?

The CWA is the largest women's organisation in Australia run entirely by volunteers and it seeks to support local communities. The Victorian Country Women’s Association was founded in 1928 and a Geelong branch in 1934. The Drysdale branch was founded in in 1948 and its members raise thousands of dollars each year for local charities.

Sources

• https://cv.vic.gov.au/stories/a-diverse-state/womens-suffrage/the-1891-monster-petition/
• Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences https://maas.museum/magazine/2015/10/purple-green-and-white-an-australian-history/
• http://www.djillong.net.au
• Willey, Lynette (2010) The Waterholes: a history of Drysdale on the Bellarine. The Bellarine Historical Society. (pp. 13 – 15)

Relevant organisations

• Country Women's Association of VIC Inc - Drysdale Branch - www.cwaofvic.asn.au
• Geelong Herstory (Reclaim the Night, Geelong) - https://sites.google.com/site/reclaimthenightgeelong//geelong-herstory
• Djillong: http://www.djillong.net.au