Timeline - TimelineTimeline

2021

Mar

Ayor Makur Chuot is elected to be Australia’s first South Sudanese MP

2020

Sep

Nyadol Nyuon becomes the first African Australian woman to be appointed the chairperson of a national multicultural peak body in Australia

2017

Jan

June Oscar AO becomes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

Women’s March

2016

Jun

Fiona Simson elected first female president of National Farmers Federation

Jan

Linda Burney becomes first Aboriginal woman elected to House of Representatives

COAG Advisory Panel on Violence against Women and their Children makes its report

Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence releases final report

2015

Jan

Announcement of Advisory Panel to Reduce Violence Against Women

“In the wake of calls to action to address domestic violence, the Federal Government announced ...”

Release of report from Queensland Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence

Rosie Batty named Australian of the Year

2014

Jul

Second Action Plan 2013-2016 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children

2013

Dec

First Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Woman Elected to Federal Parliament - Nova Peris

Natasha Stott Despoja AM appointed Ambassador for Women and Girls

Jan

Julie Bishop becomes the first woman to be Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs

“On 18 September 2013, the Hon Julie Bishop MP was sworn in as Australia’s first ...”

Our Watch was established to engage the community in action to prevent violence against women and their children.

2011

Dec

First Ambassador for Women and Girls – Penny Williams

Jun

Robyn Walker was announced as the first woman in the Royal Australian Navy to attain the rank of Rear Admiral

May

Nicola Roxon - Australia’s first female Attorney-General

Mar

First female Premier in Tasmania – Lara Giddings

Release of the National Plan

2010

May

School based Respectful Relationships Education

Mar

Family Violence: A National Legal Response published

Paid Parental Leave introduced

First Indigenous woman elected to a UN body – Megan Davis

Six National Women’s Alliances funded

Family Law Act reviewed

First Australian Woman to reach North and South Pole on foot – Linda Beilharz

First female Prime Minister – Julia Gillard

2009

Mar

Time for Action published

National Survey on Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women published

2008

May

Australian Education Union Policy on Gender Equity

Mar

First mother and daughter team reach the summit of Mount Everest

National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children established

First female Governor General of Australia – Quentin Bryce

National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children

2007

Mar

Preventing violence before it occurs published

A paralympian presents at the closing ceremony of the United International Year of Sport and Physical Education

First national senior basketball team to win a world championship gold medal – the Opals

First female Deputy Prime Minister – Julia Gillard

2004

Mar

The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence published

“VicHealth published important research The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused ...”

Access Economics reports that domestic violence costs the Australian economy $8.1 billion per year

“This ground breaking report, found that the total annual cost of domestic violence in 2002–03 ...”

2003

Mar

Tasmania abolished provocation as a defence to murder

2001

Mar

Youngest person to become leader of a political party – Natasha Stott Despoja

First female Governor of New South Wales –Marie Bashir

First Aboriginal Woman elected to an Australian Parliament – Carol Martin MLA

Publication of The National Crime Prevention Survey

“The National Crime Prevention Survey in 2001 found that one in seven teenage boys thought ...”

Jan

WWDA wins Australian Human Rights Award

“WWDA was named the National Winner of the Australian Human Rights Award. The judges were ...”

2000

Jul

The Hon Jackie Kelly MP became the first woman to give birth while serving as a Federal Government Minister

Mar

First female Australian scientists to work at the South Pole – Jessica Dempsey and Jill Rathbourne

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act introduced

1999

Aug

Carla Zampatti was the first woman to be appointed as Chair of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).

Mar

First paralympian to be named Australian Athlete of the Year –Louise Sauvage

Lowitja O'Donoghue honoured

Hockeyroos became the most successful side in the history of women's world hockey

1997

Mar

Partnerships Against Domestic Violence (PADV) begins

1996

Mar

New gun control legislation introduced

“Australia’s gun control legislative reform in response to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a ...”

1995

Dec

Rural Women’s Unit established in Department of Agriculture

Women With Disabilities Australia established

“Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) was incorporated in 1995 and evolved from the National Women's ...”

Mar

Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women published

1994

Jun

Inaugural “Women in Agriculture International Conference” held in Melbourne

“In July 1994, the inaugural “Women in Agriculture International Conference” was held at the University ...”

Legal status of women in agriculture was changed to that of “farmers”

“In 1994, the legal status of women in agriculture was changed to that of “farmers.””

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) collected information about women on farms for the first time

Apr

Sticks and stones: Report on violence in Australian Schools

1993

Jun

Australian Women in Agriculture established

Mar

Gender and Violence Position Paper released

National Committee against Violence against Women provided training for professionals

1992

Mar

Women’s Emergency Services Network (WESNET) established

1991

Jun

The Queensland Anti Discrimination Act and Australian Capital Territory Discrimination Act Passed

Apr

Rejection of Marital Rape Immunity

Mar

Family Violence: Everyone's Business, Someone's Life published

First female vice-regal representative appointed - Dame Roma Mitchell

Family Law Act changed to include provisions about child abuse

1990

Mar

Women inspectors were allowed in the Queensland Police

“The first women police officers were promoted to inspector level in the Queensland Police Service ...”

First woman Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission – Lowitja O’Donoghue

First Aboriginal woman to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games – Cathy Freeman

First female State Premiers - Carmen Lawrence, and Joan Kirner.

1989

Jun

The Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act was passed

Mar

First female head of State – Rosemary Follett

Conference of Indigenous women

1988

Mar

Domestic Violence Attitude Survey published

“In 1988, the Office of the Status of Women in the Department of The Prime ...”

National Agenda For Women named violence as a major issue

“The then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, launched the first National Agenda for Women in 1988, ...”

1987

Mar

Domestic violence became a criminal offence in Victoria

The Women’s Coalition Against Family Violence

First female High Court Judge appointed – Mary Gaudron

National Committee on Violence established

1986

Mar

Joan Child became first female Speaker of the Federal House

Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986

Janine Haines became the first woman leader of a political party in the Federal Parliament.

1985

Mar

Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) established

“National data shows that the major cause of women’s and children’s homelessness is domestic and ...”

First National Conference on Domestic Violence

“In 1985 the Australian Institute of Criminology hosted a National Conference on Domestic Violence, formulating ...”

1984

Dec

Pamela O’Neill becomes first Sex Discrimination Commissioner

Mar

Federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984

1983

Mar

Australia ratifies CEDAW

Even in the Best of Homes published

1981

Mar

NSW women allowed to prosecute husbands for violence

First woman to head a government department – Pat O’Shane

1979

Mar

Deborah Wardley won the right to be employed as a pilot by Ansett in a case heard by the Victorian Equal Opportunity Board.

1978

Mar

The National Women's Advisory Council was established

1976

Mar

Rape in marriage becomes illegal in South Australia

1975

Mar

International Women's Year

“United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1975 International Women’s Year (IWY). On International Women’s Day (8 ...”

Elizabeth Evatt became the first Chief Judge of the Family Court.

First sex discrimination Act passed in South Australia

Eleven women's refuges across the country open

Publication “Girls, School and Society” report

Family Law Act 1975 brings in no fault divorce

1974

Mar

First Women’s Health Centre opened

Australia's first women's refuge established

1973

Apr

Unpaid Maternity Leave

Mar

Supporting Mother's Benefit introduced

“In 1973 supporting mother's benefit was introduced for single mothers not entitled to widow's pension. ...”

1972

Mar

Women’s Electoral Lobby

The Federal Child Care Act 1972

First rape crisis centre established

Jan

“Equal pay for work of equal value”

1971

Dec

Bank of New South Wales grants loans to women without requiring a male guarantor

1970

Mar

The Female Eunuch is published

1969

Mar

'Equal pay for equal work'

Feb

Zelda D’Aprano

1966

Mar

Married women allowed to work in the Commonwealth Public Service

“The bar on employment of married women in the Commonwealth Public Service was abolished in ...”

1962

Mar

Roma Mitchell became Australia’s first female Queen’s Counsel

All Aboriginal women (and men) were finally able to vote.

1961

Mar

Uniform Marriage Laws across Australia

1959

Mar

The Matrimonial Causes Act 1959

1950

Mar

Female basic wage set at 75% of the male basic wage

1947

Dec

Jessie Street appointed as Australian representative to United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

1943

Mar

The Women’s Prayer

Feb

First women elected to Federal Parliament – Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney

“Join us in a Victory Job”

1942

Jul

Widows’ pensions were introduced in 1942

Jan

The Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA) established

1938

Apr

Brisbane Women’s Hospital Opened

1929

Jul

Irene Longman, became Queensland’s first female parliamentarian in May 1929

1925

Jul

First woman member, Millicent Preston-Stanley, speaks in New South Wales Parliament

1923

Mar

Introduction of jury service for women in Queensland

1922

Apr

Introduction of the Queensland Maternity Act

1921

Feb

First woman elected to an Australian Parliament – Edith Cowan

1919

Mar

Minimum wage for women's work set at 54 per cent of the male rate.

1915

Jun

Women obtain the right to be elected into Queensland Parliament

Mar

South Australia and NSW appoint the first female police officers

1912

Dec

Sarah (Fanny) Durack become first Australian woman to win gold at the Olympic Games

Mar

Maternity Allowance Act

1911

Feb

First International Women’s Day

1908

Mar

"Trust the Women"

1907

May

Queensland women vote in their first state election

1905

May

Queensland accords women the right to vote

1903

Apr

Vida Goldstein became the first woman in the British Empire to stand for election to a national parliament

Mar

First female Parliamentary Candidates

1902

Mar

Women must resign from working in the public service upon marriage

“The Public Service Act 1902 explicitly required women to resign upon marriage, but allowed for ...”

Feb

Federal Suffrage

Jan

The Queen Victoria Women’s Hospital Shilling Campaign

First female political candidate – Catherine Spence

SA accords women the right to vote

Constance Stone became the first registered female doctor in Australia

The Drunkards Wife

Married Women’s Property Act

1883

May

The first woman graduated from an Australian University.

Apr

First Married Women's Property Act passed in SA