Talk:Catherine Helen Spence

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The claim that CHS was the first woman to stand for public office in Australia seems unlikely. Pete 09:36, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Because "public office" is ambiguous (and perhaps misleading), I have reworded the associated statement. She was indeed Australia's first female political candidate, but whether the Federal Conventions constitute "public office", I am unsure. She never stood for Parliament. In any case, I intend to expand the article - with references ;).--Cyberjunkie 14:57, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)
I'm still not sure that she was Australia's first female political candidate, whether unsuccessful or not. I have the collection of her writings edited by Helen Thomson (into which I am delighted to find that I had tucked a pristine example of the $5 note to serve as a bookmark and then forgotten), but Helen the editor doesn'5t say whether CGS was the first candidate or not, and CHS in the portion of her autobiography included gives herself no more than a line on the subject, merely saying that she was unsuccessful.
She was a remarkable woman, and has long been one of my heroes. It is a shame that she was not elected, for then amongst the generally white male bearded middle class Founding Fathers, we would have had a Mother!
She certainly deserves more room in Wikidedia than she currently occupies, but I fear that I would find it hard to know when to stop, because I would like to sing her praises endlessly. However, I shall at least roll up my sleeves and make a start. Pete 23:38, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)
South Australia was the first in the world to grant women the right to political candidacy, and indeed, the only place in Australia to have granted said right at the time of the Federal Conventions. From my reading on the web so far (I haven't had time to access literature), this website (see 1897) prepared by the State Library of South Australia, showing significant dates for South Australian women, concurs.--Cyberjunkie 07:57, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Fair enough. Makes her all the more courageous! Pete 08:50, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)