Irene Longman | |
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Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Bulimba |
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In office 11 May 1929 – 11 June 1932 |
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Preceded by | Albert Wright |
Succeeded by | William Copley |
Personal details | |
Born |
Irene Maud Bayley 24 April 1877 Franklin, Tasmania, Australia |
Died | 29 July 1964 Brisbane, Australia |
(aged 87)
Nationality | Australian |
Political party | Country and Progressive National Party |
Spouse(s) | Albert Heber Longman (m.1904 d.1954) |
Relations |
Percy Bayley (brother), James Bayley (brother) |
Occupation | Newspaper proprietor |
Religion | Congregational |
Irene Maud Longman (née Bayley) (24 April 1877 – 29 July 1964) was a politician in Queensland, Australia . She was the first woman to stand and be elected as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
Irene Bailey was born in Franklin, Tasmania, and educated in Sydney. She trained as a kindergarten teacher and taught at Sydney Girls' Grammar School and Rockhampton Girls' Grammar School. In 1904, she married Heber Longman and the couple chose to live in Queensland. She served as president of the National Council of Women of Queensland from 1920 to 1924.
Irene Longman's parliamentary career began in the 1929 election when representing the Country and Progressive National Party. She was elected in the seat of Bulimba to the Queensland Legislative Assembly, a safe ALP seat, which she held for one term. While in Parliament, she was responsible for the first appointment of a Queensland woman police officer and spoke about the welfare of children. As a woman, she was never allowed to use the parliamentary dining room and had to eat her meals on the verandah. During her time in Parliament there were no female toilets in the building. Longman lost her seat in the 1932 election and she did not recontest her seat.
Longman had two brothers who were also members of the Queensland Parliament. Percy Bayley represented Pittsworth 1915–1920 and James Bayley represented Wynnum 1933-1935.