May Holman

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Mary Alice 'May' Holman (18 July 1893 – 20 March 1939) was a Western Australian politician. She was the first woman in the Australian Labor Party to become a parliamentarian. Holman was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Forrest in 1925, and held it until her death on the day of her fourth re-election.

She was the daughter of John Holman, and her brother, Edward Holman, was elected to her seat after her death. Holman was married in 1914 to politician Joseph Gardiner; this was unconsummated and annulled in 1920.

Born at Broken Hill, New South Wales, her father and mother, Katherine Mary (née Row), moved the family to Western Australia two years later.

The women's executive of her party, and the Women's Service Guilds, nominated Holman as a delegate to the League of Nations Assembly in 1930.

Holman died as a result of a car crash and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.

[edit] References

• Brown, Margaret (2006). Holman, Mary Alice (May) (1893 - 1939). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.