Prime Ministers of Australia

The National Archives' collection holds official records of each prime minister's time in office. These official records are supplemented with personal records that illuminate their lives.

Edith Cowan was the first woman elected to an Australian parliament. On 12 March 1921 she won the seat of West Perth, becoming a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. She won her seat because of her work to improve the lives of women, children and people in need. In Parliament she continued her work in these areas, fighting for votes for women, better education and better access to healthcare. Her election marked a milestone in women’s political representation in Australia. Although she only held her seat for 3 years, Cowan was a strong and effective member of parliament.

In 1902 Australia became the first nation in the world to introduce equal federal suffrage to men and women. The Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 allowed women to both vote and stand for election. But it took another 41 years for the first women to be elected to the Australian Parliament. In 1943 Enid Lyons became the Member for Darwin (in Tasmania) in the House of Representatives, and Dorothy Tangney was elected to represent Western Australia in the Senate.