Edith Cowan

Edith Dircksey Cowan, born on August 2, 1861, and died on June 9, 1932, was the first woman elected to the Australian Parliament. She was educated at Perth Ladies College, faced hardships after her mother's death, and became a proponent of social reforms, advocating for women's suffrage, children's welfare and education, and serving as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. Charismatic, dominant, and meddlesome, she was from Western Australia, rooted in British colonial traditions, and active in public service and advocacy. Her hobbies included gardening and reading literature, and she survived a major earthquake in 1900.