In 1891 Victoria's Premier James Munro, under pressure from the pro-suffrage Woman's Christian Temperance Union, promised to introduce a Suffrage Bill into Parliament if it could be demonstrated that womens' franchise is what the colony's women wanted. After six weeks the suffragists had collected almost 33,000 signatures, the biggest petition ever to be presented to a colonial parliament. The Bill passed the lower house but was rejected by the ultra-conservative Upper House. This book oulines the history of 362 Colac women who signed the petition.Pioneers & Suffragists. Merrill O'Donnell; Stephen Brooks. 2nd ed. Stephen Brooks; Colac (Vic); 2013. x, 350 p.; illus. Soft cover. ISBN 978 0 646 58264 1suffrage bill; 1891; james munro; parliament; colac; women; pioneers; suffragists; merrill o'donnell; stephen brooks;

In 1891, Premier James Munro said he would introduce a bill into parliament for women's suffrage if it were demonstrated that ordinary women wanted this right. The Victorian Woman's Temperance Union and the Victorian Women's Suffrage Society took up the challenge, joining forces to organise a petition. Embarking on a door knocking campaign across Victoria they collected about 30,000 signatures in six weeks. The 'Monster Petition' is housed at the Public Records Office Victoria where a purpose-built perspex case protects the 260 metres of signed pages glued to sewn swathes of calico. (ref. Creative Victoria). In 2008 the petition was a centrepiece of the centenary celebrations of women's suffrage. This document was prepared for that centenary celebration.The Women's Suffrage Petition (1891) reflects the dedicated work of those women, who went from door to door across Victoria to collect the signatures. Its tremendous length earned it the name of the ‘Monster Petition'. This document is a useful research item.A stapled 9 pp document containing names, photographs, signatures of the Orbost women who signed the petition for Women's Suffrage in 1891.women's-suffrage-orbost

The Ballarat Courier has been published in Ballarat for over 100 yearsTwelve page broadsheet with information including Melba's performance at her Majesty's Theatre, Opening of Loreto Chapel, Hospital presidential protraits of Alexander Milelr and J.G. McDonald, Lal Lal Races, Henry McEwan obituary, James Long funeral, bullfight, Buninyong Lodge Masonic Installation, the bill giving female suffrage, and much morenewspaper, ballarat, women's vote, loreto convent, h. marshall, mrs becker, george brehaut, caroline tarrant, melba at her majesty's, nellie melba, alex miller, bull fight, masonic installation, buninyong masonic lodge, lal lal races, henry mcewan, ballarat courier

Kew, in Melbourne, Victoria, was declared a Borough in 1859, following which the first Council was elected in 1860. Kew became a Town in 1910, and a City in 1921. It was amalgamated into a new City of Boroondara in 1994. The centenary celebrations of 1860 marked 100 since the first Kew Council was established.This reel-to-reel tape, now digitised, is both rare (ie unique) and historically significant. While the recording clearly has local significance, it is also of national and international significance due to the content of the Prime Minister's address. The focus of his speech is the nature of Australian democracy and its strengths, deriving from universal suffrage and the acceptance of democratic values by the Australian population, gained through historic participation in democracy at local, state and federal levels. RG Menzies mounts a strong case for each level of government having value in the development of Australian democracy. He also describes the emerging democracies of Africa in the period following decolonisation, and suggests that the success of these countries is dependent on democratic institutions not being imposed from above by colonial powers. City of Kew Centenary 1860-1960 Speeches by The Hon RG Menzies, MHR for Kew, and Cr WHS Dickinson, Mayor of Kew. Recorded on 13th December 1960 at the Kew City Hall 34 minutes 29 seconds From the archives of the Kew Historical Society Inc Copyright Kew Historical Society Inc Timings 00.14-17.00 The Right Hon RG Menzies MHR 17.07-32.33 Cr. WHS Dickinson 32.38-33.10 The Right Hon RG Menzies MHR 33.30-33.50 Cr. WHS Dickinson 33.51-34.25 Song - 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow'Label on original boxcity of kew, centenary of kew 1860-1960, robert gordon menzies, william henry shorey dickinson, bill burrell, mayors of kew, town clerks of kew, australian prime ministers, australian democracy, democracy