Lilian Fowler
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Lilian Fowler MBE, JP |
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| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Newtown |
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In office 27 May 1944 – 22 May 1950 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Burke |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Mayor of Newtown | |
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In office December 1938 – December 1939 |
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| Preceded by | Isidore Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Beaufils |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Elizabeth Lilian Maud Gill 7 June 1886 Cooma, New South Wales |
| Died | 11 May 1954 (aged 67) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Lang Labor |
| Spouse(s) | Albert Edward Fowler |
| Occupation | Labor organiser |
Elizabeth Lilian Maud Fowler MBE, JP (7 June 1886 – 11 May 1954) was an Australian politician, and Australia's first female mayor.
Fowler was born at Cooma, New South Wales. She was the third daughter of farmer Charles Gill and Frances Rebecca, née Gaunson. After receiving a primary school education she became closely involved in Labor politics with the assistance of her father, a local councillor and Labor League organiser. On 19 April 1909, while working as a waitress in Sydney, she married bootmaker Albert Edward Fowler, a widower, at Whitefield Congregational Church.
Fowler was made secretary of the Newtown-Erskineville Political Labor League, and from 1917 managed the electorate of Newtown MP Frank Burke, an anti-conscriptionist.
Elected to the central executive of the Australian Labor Party 1920–21 and 1923–25, she and Jack Lang were behind the move to admit James Dooley at the 1923 conference. Fowler was also instrumental in the anti-corruption moves at the conference which led to the exposure of sliding-panel ballot boxes. She resigned from the central executive in 1932.
She was president of the Labor Women's Central Organising Committee 1926–27, lobbying New South Wales Premier Jack Lang to implement widows' pensions and child endowments. She also petitioned the governor regarding the appointment of women to the Legislative Council, and organised the first interstate Labor Women's conference.
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