We set out to encourage women to take an interest in the politics of our country ... we would not be living up to the rich traditions of our women pioneers who fought and struggled so hard for the right to vote if we did not do this. (Eva Bacon, Lecture 2: The Union of Australian Women, p. 2. UQFL241, Box 12, Folder: UAW)

This year marks the centenary of women's suffrage in Queensland and also heralds forty years since Queensland’s Indigenous people won the right to vote in state elections. While many events in 2005 will focus on the history of the Suffrage Movement, this display explores some of the contributions that women have made to political life in Queensland.

Political contributions have taken many forms over the last century. They have come not only from women parliamentarians, but also unionists, activists and many grassroots organisations. Until significant numbers of women were elected to parliament in the 1990s, women often chose to effect change through protest. Recurring issues were Indigenous Rights, Peace, and Workplace Reform. Whether it was a housewife signing a petition, an activist protesting on the street or a Senator working within the corridors of power, many women from different backgrounds effected political and social change in Queensland.

The stories told here provide snapshots into the past, rather than a comprehensive history of women’s political activism in Queensland. They are windows which also give a glimpse of the close networks that often transcended organisational affiliation and political persuasion to further the rights of women and the issues they felt passionately about — the issues Worth Fighting For!