Mary Lee (suffragist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Lee
Mary Lee
Born	Mary Walsh (1821-02-14)14 February 1821 County Monaghan, Ireland
Died	18 September 1909(1909-09-18) (aged 88) North Adelaide, Australia
Occupation	Suffragist, social reformer, trade union leader
Years active	1883–1896
Known for	Women's suffrage in South Australia
Spouse(s)	George Lee ​ (m. 1844)​
Children	7

Mary Lee (14 February 1821 – 18 September 1909) was an Irish-Australian leader who helped women win the right to vote. She was a leading suffragist and social reformer in South Australia.

Her hard work helped South Australia become one of the first places in the world where women could vote and run for parliament. She also helped start trade unions to protect workers and worked to improve schools, hospitals, and laws for young people.

Early Life and Move to South Australia

Childhood and Family in Ireland

Mary Lee was born as Mary Walsh on 14 February 1821 in County Monaghan, Ireland. She grew up on an estate called Kilknock. During her youth in Ireland, she developed a strong love for learning and reading.

In 1844, Mary married George Lee. Together, they had seven children. Mary spent many years caring for her family and running a school for girls. She believed strongly that girls deserved a good education, just like boys.

Journey Across the Sea to Adelaide

Mary's son, John Benjamin Lee, known as Ben, moved to Adelaide, South Australia, to build a new life. In 1879, Ben became very sick. Mary, who was now a widow, decided to travel across the world to care for him.

Mary and her daughter Evelyn sailed on the steamship Orient during its very first voyage. They arrived in Adelaide in 1879. Mary nursed Ben, but sadly, he died on 2 November 1880. Instead of returning to Ireland, Mary decided to stay in Adelaide and dedicate her energy to helping the community.

Becoming a Social Reformer and Community Leader

Joining the Social Purity Society

In 1883, Mary Lee joined the ladies' committee of the Social Purity Society. This group was led by Reverend Joseph Coles Kirby. The society wanted to make society fairer and safer for young people and families.

Mary and the society campaigned against child labour. At that time, many young children worked long, dangerous hours in factories instead of attending school. The group also worked to update laws to protect young girls from harm and unfair treatment.

Changing Laws for Young People

Mary Lee wrote letters, gave speeches, and spoke with lawmakers to demand stronger legal protections. Her efforts paid off in 1885 when the parliament passed the Criminal Law Consolidation Amendment Act.

This new law raised the legal age of protection for young girls from 13 to 16. Reverend Kirby gave Mary Lee credit for making this change happen. It was her first major political victory in Australia.

Fighting for the Rights of Working Women

Bust of Mary Lee on North Terrace, Adelaide

Starting the Working Women's Trades Union

After winning legal protections for youth, Mary Lee noticed that many working women faced terrible conditions. Women in clothing factories worked in dark, cramped rooms called sweatshops. They worked long hours for very low pay.

In December 1889, Mary spoke at a large public meeting and proposed a brand-new idea. She suggested forming a trade union just for women so they could stand together. In 1890, she helped found the Working Women's Trades Union. She served as its secretary for two years.

Standing Up for Fair Wages and Better Workplaces

As union secretary, Mary Lee visited factories, checked working conditions, and negotiated for better pay. She believed that hard work should be rewarded with fair wages.

• She helped women workers speak with one voice to factory owners.
• She attended meetings of the Trades and Labor Council to represent female workers.
• She served on an official committee that examined poor conditions in the garment industry.
• She helped run relief efforts during the economic depression of the 1890s, handing out food and clothes to struggling families.

Supporting the Broken Hill Miners

Mary Lee also supported workers outside Adelaide. In 1892, miners in the town of Broken Hill went on strike for safer working conditions. Their wives and daughters formed a group called the Women's Brigade to support them.

Mary wrote a famous letter to the newspaper The Barrier Miner. She praised the women of Broken Hill for standing up for fairness. She pointed out that laws affected women every day, so women deserved a voice in making those laws.

Leading the Campaign for Women's Suffrage

Founding the Women's Suffrage League

Mary Lee realised that to make lasting changes, women needed the right to vote. Without voting power, politicians could simply ignore women's concerns.

On 13 July 1888, Mary Lee and other reformers met in Adelaide to found the South Australian Women's Suffrage League. Mary was chosen as the co-honorary secretary. She held this important leadership role for six and a half years.

Using Speeches and Letters to Persuade the Public

Mary Lee was a skilled speaker and a brilliant writer. She used logical arguments, sharp wit, and humor to convince people that women should vote. She wrote articles for newspapers and spoke in halls across the colony.

Text plaque dedicated to Mary Lee

In 1889, Mary wrote a powerful message to the public:

Let husbands, brothers, fathers, be kept in mind that it is the duty of every free man to leave his daughters as free as his sons. As women assist in maintaining Government they have a right to a say how and by whom they shall be governed.

Overcoming Obstacles and Defeated Bills

Winning the vote was not easy. Many politicians believed that women should only focus on housework and family life. Between 1889 and 1893, several bills to give women the vote were introduced into the South Australian parliament, but all of them were defeated.

Mary Lee did not give up. She formed strong partnerships with other groups, including the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Democratic League. When neighboring New Zealand granted women the vote in 1893, it gave the Australian campaigners even more hope and determination.

The Great Petition of 1894

To prove that ordinary women truly wanted the vote, Mary Lee and her fellow campaigners launched a massive petition drive. Volunteers travelled across South Australia on foot, by train, and on horse-drawn carts to collect signatures.

• Volunteers gathered 11,600 signatures from people across the whole colony.
• The paper sheets were glued end-to-end to create a giant paper roll.
• The completed petition roll was 122 metres long.
• On 23 August 1894, the giant roll was proudly carried into parliament during the debate on the Adult Suffrage Bill.

A Historic Victory for Democracy

On 18 December 1894, the South Australian parliament officially passed the Adult Suffrage Act. The law gave women equal voting rights with men.

Even more remarkably, the law allowed women to run for parliament as candidates. South Australia became the first place in the world where women won both the right to vote and the right to stand for parliament in the same law. Queen Victoria signed the act into law in early 1895.

Later Life, Public Service, and Legacy

Educating New Voters

Winning the vote was just the first step. Mary Lee spent the next few years educating women about how to use their new democratic power. She travelled to towns, held meetings, and explained how to register on the electoral roll.

By Mary's 75th birthday in 1896, over 60,000 women had enrolled to vote. South Australian women cast their ballots for the first time in the general election of April 1896. Mary was invited to run for parliament herself, but she declined, preferring to remain an independent community worker.

Serving as an Asylum Visitor

In 1896, the government appointed Mary Lee as an official visitor to mental health hospitals (then called lunatic asylums). She was the very first woman to receive this government appointment in South Australia.

Mary took this job seriously. She visited patients regularly, listened to their needs, and made sure they received proper food, warm bedding, and humane care. She held this role until she was in her eighties.

Final Years and Enduring Memory

Plaque on the Jubilee 150 Walkway, Adelaide

In her later years, Mary Lee had very little money. She had spent most of her savings helping others and had to sell her personal collection of books to support herself. Despite her hardships, she continued to write letters encouraging women in other Australian colonies who were still fighting for the vote.

Mary Lee died on 18 September 1909 in North Adelaide at the age of 88. She was buried beside her son Ben in the Wesleyan Cemetery in Walkerville.

Today, Mary Lee is remembered as one of Australia's greatest democratic pioneers. Her courage and perseverance helped create a fairer world for millions of people.

Honours and Tributes

• In Canberra, a street named Mary Lee Close in the suburb of Bonython honours her name.
• In 1994, Australia celebrated the 100th anniversary of women's voting rights by issuing a special commemorative coin in her honour.
• She is honoured with a bronze plaque on the Jubilee 150 Walkway along North Terrace in Adelaide.
• In 2001, she was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
• In 2018, historian Denise George published a biography sharing Mary's inspiring life story with new generations.

Summary of Key Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Mary Lee para niños