Great Queensland women of our past
Learn more about great Queensland women from our past:
- Emma Miller—Emma was one of Queensland's earliest activists and played a prominent role in improving conditions for women in the workplace
- Annette Kellerman—Annette took up swimming to strengthen her legs after a bout of polio as a child and became world famous as a distance swimmer and movie star.
- Oodgeroo Noonuccal—Oodgeroo (Kath Walker) was a prominent Queenslander and a key figure in Australian history, famed for her contribution to literature, education and Indigenous rights.
- Irene Longman—Irene made history as Queensland’s first parliamentarian and championed a number of initiatives to improve the lives of women and children.
- Mary McConnel—Mary worked for 15 years to raise money for Queensland’s first children’s hospital after the tragic loss of her son.
- Lilian Cooper—Lilian was a pioneer. She left England to become Queensland’s first female doctor and was rewarded for her bravery during the First World War.
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny—Elizabeth was widely recognised for her innovative approach to treating polio sufferers, and was credited with saving the United States from a ‘national disaster’.
- Dorothy Hill—Dorothy was the first female Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the first woman in an Australian university to be president of her university’s professional board.
- Dame Annabelle Jane Mary Rankin DBE—Annabelle was an Australian politician and diplomat. She was the first woman from Queensland elected to parliament, the first woman federal government minister, and the first Australian woman to be appointed head of a foreign mission.