Women of Note: the female faces on our currency

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We see their faces almost every day but do we really know the story of the women featured on the Australian notes? Let’s get familiar with the women who came before us.

Mary Reibey (1769 – 1811) –

Born in Lancashire, England, Mary was convicted of stealing horses at the age of 13 and was sentenced to be deported to Australia. After serving her sentence in Sydney as a nursemaid, Mary married an Irishman who was in the service of the East India Co. and through his many working connections, started his own trading business.

On the event of her husbands’ abrupt death and that of his business partner, Mary took over running the international trading business, many farms and hotels while raising 7 children.

Mary became legendary in the colony as a persevering and enterprising businesswoman that also took an interest in the church, education and works of charity.

 

Nellie Melba (1861 – 1931) –

Born Helen Porter Mitchell in Richmond, Melbourne, Melba was heavily influenced by her father’s taste in music and her mother’s proficiency in playing a number of instruments.

After settling into a marriage in Mackay, Melba abandoned the domestic life to pursue her dreams of sing

ing professionally. Nicknamed after her beloved hometown, Melba went on to become the resident opera singer of Convent Garden during its golden age, travelled the world performing, quite often at the request of royalty.

Her high degree of international fame and popularity to such a high degree, made her the shining star for the Australian public. She later settled in Coldstream, Victoria while funding and producing many singing education programmes.

 

Edith Cowan (1861-1932)

Edith Cowan was the first female member of parliament in Australia and an avid social worker, philanthropist and politician.

Born and raised in Glengarry, Western Australia, her adolescent years were devastated in 1876 after her father was trialed and sentenced to hang for murdering his second wife. This traumatic situation created awareness for Edith around numerous social, women’s and welfare issues.

After a long and prosperous career of advocacy and social work, Edith can be credited with creating The State Children’s Act and the Children’s Court, the King Edward Memorial Hospital and The Women’s Legal Status Act among many other achievements.

 

Mary Gilmore (1865 – 1962)

Mary Gilmore was born in Woodhouselee near Goulburn, New South Wales and lived in numerous regional towns of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland across her life. Her public acclaim and social achievements started to take hold when she relocated to Sydney and wrote regular columns for The Tribune, Australian Worker and the Saturday Morning Herald.

Her constant advocacy through her writing of social issues including women’s rights, social and economic reforms and Aboriginal rights, made her a common thread through which pioneering Australian’s viewed their society. Mary also published numerous books of prose & poetry that now stand as national treasures, reflecting a time of many hardships and changes.

 

Having read these profiles, you’ll probably be a wizard at your next trivia night for those Australian history questions!

 

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