Feminism and women leaders | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Feminism and women leaders

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Black and white photo of two women, Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons, walking together towards the entrance of Old Parliament House

Photo of Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons entering Parliament House in 1943, from the Papers of Dorothy Margaret Tangney, 1938-1986, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3190082597

'They gave me a marvellous reception': Australian women, democracy and the 1943 Federal Election

Explore the papers of three women involved in the 1943 Federal Election: Enid Lyons, Dorothy Tangney and Jessie Street.

Blog
A black-and-white postcard depicting a forest scene with a large wooden structure resembling a natural shelter or barricade. The structure is made from wooden logs and branches, arranged in a semi-circle or arch. The dense forest in the background features tall trees, ferns, and thick underbrush, creating a secluded and mysterious atmosphere. The ground appears rough, with scattered debris and fallen logs. The image is reminiscent of a hidden or protected space within the wilderness.

Postcard of a sketch by William Knight of a native camp, Midlands, Tasmania, sketch made on the spot, 1924, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3265441693

Bates Collection

Papers, maps, photographs and other publications largely relating to Daisy Bates' research on First Australians.

Collection guide
First Australians
On the left, the cover of 'She Shapes History: Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women' which features a faceless statue of a woman standing on a piles of books on a pink and blue background. On the right is a photo of author Sita Sargeant smiling.
Book Launch: She Shapes History with Sita Sargeant

Join Sita Sargeant as she launches her debut book, 'She Shapes History: Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women'.

*Places to attend this event in person have sold out*

Event
Bold Types
Bookmark This podcast, Season 2: Bold Types

Season two, Bold Types, is hosted by political reporter and author Amy Remekis. Based on the book by Dr Patricia Clarke, Bold Types celebrates the pioneering women who took the world of journalism by storm, with each episode featuring contemporary female journalists reflecting on their experiences and those of their forebears.

Audio
Four ballet dancers posing with their arms out and leaning in various directions

Bodenwieser Ballet performance of Blue Danube Waltz, with Moira Claux, Elaine Vallance, Nina Bascolo and Biruta Apens, 1953, nla.obj-234841849

Capturing movement: Dance photography and Gertrud Bodenwieser

Explore the dance style of Gertrud Bodenwieser through photographs with 2023 National Library Fellow Wesley Lim.

Blog
A woman sitting talking to a man while using a recorder.

David Moore, Portrait of Hazel de Berg interviewing physicist Professor Harry Messel, 1972, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138001621

De Berg Collection

1290 recordings of interviews and readings from many of Australia's poets, artists, writers, composers, actors, academics, publishers, librarians, scientists, anthropologists, public servants and some politicians

Collection guide
Celia Craig, a woman with very short brown hair, smiling and holding large book of sheet music with the title 'Symphonic Overture'
Exploring the letters of legendary musician Miriam Hyde with Celia Craig

Read about Creative Arts Fellow Celia Craig's experience of exploring the papers of musician Miriam Hyde.

Blog
A group of women marches down a city street, holding various protest signs. Signs include messages like "Sexism is alive & living in Australia" and "Dress for comfort, not for style." A large sculpture is visible in the background.

John McKinnon & Australian Information Service, Women on the march wave their placards at the International Women's Day march, 1975, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137045864

Feminism in Australia

Module

Explore the evolution of women's rights in Australia from women's suffrage to contemporary movements like #MeToo in this learning module. 

 

Digital Classroom
Two portrait photographs side by side. The one on the left is a sepia toned image of a woman with a 1950s hairstyle and a fur around her neck The one on the right is a black and white image of a woman with a 1950 hairstyle wearing a dark velvet-looking dress.
First Women in federal parliament - Dame Enid Lyons and Dame Dorothy Tangney

The National Library has recently digitised two letters from the collections of Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney.

News article
Sappho Hildegard von Bingen Aphra Behn rare books
Great female writers of centuries past: Sappho to Aphra Behn

Explore early women writers in the Library's rare books collections up to the year 1700.

Blog
Image of the title page and portrait frontispiece of NLA RB CLI 2050 with portrait frontispiece an image of a woman in profile with a prominent 18th-century wig.

Mrs M. Robinson, Poems, volume 1, London: Printed by J. Bell, British-Library, Strand, 1791, Clifford Collection (Overseas Rare Books), RB CLI 2050, nla.cat-vn2476718

Great female writers of the eighteenth century: Trailblazers and radicals

Dive into the works of great female writers held in the Library's rare books collection.

Blog

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