1. Home
  2. Hansard & Papers
  3. Legislative Council
  4. 28 June 2007
Contact Print this page Reduce font size Increase font size

Women's Archives Project

Printing Tips | Print selected text | Full Day Hansard Transcript         « Prior Item | Item 71 of 77 | Next Item »

About this Item
Speakers - Ficarra The Hon Marie
Business - Adjournment

      WOMEN'S ARCHIVES PROJECT
Page: 2105

      The Hon. MARIE FICARRA [9.25 p.m.]: I advise the House of the Australian Women's Archive Project, an initiative that I strongly believe deserves the support of the New South Wales Government. The National Foundation for Australian Women's Archives Project began as a community-based organisation's response to a request from the Melbourne feminist, Mary Owen, to help with conserving the records of her long and varied contribution to public life. It has developed into a comprehensive resource that includes entries about the significant contribution of women to various professions and communities across Australia. I encourage all honourable members and the community to access the website at www.womenaustralia.info .
      Records relating to suffrage activists and their successor groups, past and present women members of Parliament, the National Council of Women and associated groups, Women's Liberation, Aboriginal women, migrant and refugee women, women and labour organisations, rural and regional women's interest groups, philanthropic organisations and missionaries are also included in the register. In 2004 and 2005 the Government provided financial assistance that enabled the Australian Women's Archives Project to build a virtual exhibition entitled "Putting Skirts on the Sacred Benches", which documented women candidates for the New South Wales Parliament. New South Wales has come a long way since 1925, when Millicent Preston-Stanley became the first woman to serve in the Legislative Assembly, and 1931, when Catherine Green and Ellen Webster first served in the Legislative Council. But we still need more women members of this Parliament and the Federal Parliament.
      On 20 June 2007 at the Australian Institute of Sport the Australian Women's Archives Project launched its virtual exhibition entitled "She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History", which includes women who have made significant contributions as players, coaches, managers, umpires, referees and administrators in sport. I congratulate Marie Colman, Patricia Ni Ivor, Anne Buttsworth, Ruth Medd, Nikki Henningham and Barbara Lemon and the many other women on all the work that they have done in developing and helping to continue this innovative and exciting project. The Australian Women's Archives Project deserves ongoing funding. For too long the outstanding contribution of women to our society has been ignored. I call upon the Government to provide funding assistance to this organisation, which is doing an excellent job to preserve the place of women in our country's history.


Last modified 05/12/2007 16:47:09   :   Update this page