Women's Equal Franchise Association facts for kids

The Women's Equal Franchise Association was an important group in Queensland, Australia. It worked to get women the right to vote. This group started in March 1894 in Brisbane Town Hall. About 110 people joined at first.

Mrs. John Donaldson was the first president. Charlotte Eleanor Trundle was the secretary. Their main goal was to make sure every adult woman could vote.

Early Goals and Petitions

At their second meeting in April 1894, Emma Miller became the new president. The group decided on the words for a special request, called a petition. This petition would go to the Queensland Parliament.

The petition asked for "granting to white women the franchise." This meant giving white women the right to vote. It also asked for "one adult one vote and one only." This was different from the old system where some men could vote more than once. By asking for "one person, one vote," the association showed it was working with groups that supported workers' rights. These groups also believed in "one man, one vote."

Women Get the Vote

After the different parts of Australia joined together to form one country (this was called the Federation of Australia), a new law was made. This law, called the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902, gave white women the right to vote in national elections. It also allowed them to run for a seat in the Australian Parliament.

It took a few more years for women in Queensland to get the right to vote in their state elections. In 1905, the Queensland Parliament passed a law called the Elections Act Amendment Act. This law let women vote in Queensland state elections. However, they still could not run for election in Queensland at that time.

On May 4, 1905, the Women's Equal Franchise Association held a party at the Brisbane Trades Hall. They celebrated that women in Queensland could now vote. After reaching their goal, the group decided to close down.

What Happened Next

The 1907 Queensland state election was held on May 18, 1907. This was the first time women in Queensland could vote in a state election. Later, in 1915, women were finally allowed to run for election to the Queensland Parliament.

It is important to know that the voting law in 1905 did not include Indigenous people in Queensland. Both Indigenous men and women did not get the right to vote until 1962.