Women and government in Australia

From the turn of the 20th century, women have participated in government in Australia. Following federation, the government of the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia passed the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 allowing most women to both vote and stand at the 1903 election. South Australia and Western Australia granted women the vote before federation, and the states of New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria also passed legislation allowing women to participate in government at the state and local levels following federation. Indigenous Australian women did not achieve suffrage at all levels of government and in all states and territories until 1962.

Although Australia allowed women to stand in elections decades before the outbreak of the Second World War, women were not successful until the 1943 election. The first female Premier was Carmen Lawrence, leading Western Australia for three years until 1993. In 2007, Anna Bligh became the first female Premier in Queensland after the retirement of Peter Beattie, and in 2009, Bligh became the first popularly elected woman Premier. Lara Giddings was Premier of the state of Tasmania between January 2011 and March 2014 and Katy Gallagher led the Australian Capital Territory from 2011 until she resigned in late 2014 to become a senator for The ACT.

Julia Gillard became Australia's first female Prime Minister on 24 June 2010.

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