A Brief History of the Australian Women's Labor History (1945).
One of the really interesting things about researching and writing about the history of women and children of Subiaco is finding out about the number of inspiring women working in the community, not only in Subiaco, but in the wider context of Western Australia and Australia.
These women came from a wide range of backgrounds and diverse political ideologies. Many but not all got married and raised families but also worked tirelessly in improving the lives of women and children achieving outcomes that we now take for granted.
This article is on the history of women in the Labor movement mentions May Holman, Dorothy Tangney (Australia's first woman Senator), Jean Beadle, Elizabeth Clapham and Rose Fuhrmann.
Two of these women Jean Beadle and Rose Fuhrmann made significant contributions to the City of Subiaco, Jean Beadle (King Edward Memorial Hospital) and Rose Fuhrmann (City of Subiaco Municipal Council). This list is not inclusive but it is still an interesting overview of women involved nearly 70 years ago.
Workers Star, 21 December 1945.
These Women Built Labor History
Australian women were among the first in the world to have the franchise and to take part in trade unions. So said Mrs. Irene Greenwood, speaking on women's part in Australian social and political life at the final session of the recent exhibition showing 25 years of progress in the Labor movement.
Assessing the nation's development against Marx's dictum that "Social progress can be measured by the status of its women," she said that the list of women to achieve outstanding prominence, while not imposing, compared favourably with other capitalist countries, excepting perhaps the Scandinavian nations. This was due to untiring struggle on the part of pioneer women. Caroline Chisholm had bombarded officialdom to get decent living and working conditions for convict women and girls. Alice Henry had carried her work a step further in winning women to Trade Unionism. This fine woman was better known and her work more appreciated in America than this, her own county. Miss Vida Goldstein made a valiant attempt to win a seat in Parliament, and was only defeated by a narrow majority from sitting in the first Federal Parliament. Many years were to elapse before Miss May Holman succeeded in getting into the WA State House, and Dorothy Tangney became Australia's first woman Senator. In this State we remember the fine example set by that faithful advocate of the people's cause, Mrs. Jean Beadle, JP, who died a few years ago. For many years she was President of the Labor Women and sat as a Justice on the bench of the Children's Court and in married women's cases. As a young woman she had worked in the "white industry" and recalled when machinists were paid 3id. a doz. for making frilled pillowcases.
Woman Factory Inspector Mrs. Elizabeth Clapham, wife of the Secretary of the Clothing Union, became a Factory Inspector, a position she relinquished on her husband's death when she went to live in England. She was WA's first member of a Municipal Council at Cottesloe. Mrs. Rose Fuhrmann, JP, will carry on the tradition as a councillor for Subiaco. Mrs. Margaret Green was a participator in the Anti-Conscription struggle in WA and for many years was identified with the Labour Women, the Movement against War and Fascism, and was a foundation member of the Modern Women's Club, and one of its earliest Presidents. To all women in these movements, at all times, Katharine Susannah Prichard (Mrs. Throssell) was a constant source of inspiration. One of the early band of Communists to form the Party 25 years ago, she had constantly worked among women, influenced them, trained them, and spurred them on to realise the truth of the teachings of Marxists, and especially as set out by Dimitrov when he said: "There cannot be a successful fight against fascism unless the wide masses of women are drawn into the struggle.
Rose Fuhrmann the first woman elected to the Subiaco Council.
Jean Beadle President of the Labor Women's Movement.
Dorothy Tangney the first woman elected to the Australian Senate.
