Feminism and women leaders

A black-and-white postcard depicting a forest scene with a large wooden structure resembling a natural shelter or barricade. The structure is made from wooden logs and branches, arranged in a semi-circle or arch. The dense forest in the background features tall trees, ferns, and thick underbrush, creating a secluded and mysterious atmosphere. The ground appears rough, with scattered debris and fallen logs. The image is reminiscent of a hidden or protected space within the wilderness.

Postcard of a sketch by William Knight of a native camp, Midlands, Tasmania, sketch made on the spot, 1924, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3265441693

Bates Collection

Papers, maps, photographs and other publications largely relating to Daisy Bates' research on First Australians.

Collection guide

First Australians

A woman sitting talking to a man while using a recorder.

David Moore, Portrait of Hazel de Berg interviewing physicist Professor Harry Messel, 1972, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138001621

De Berg Collection

1290 recordings of interviews and readings from many of Australia's poets, artists, writers, composers, actors, academics, publishers, librarians, scientists, anthropologists, public servants and some politicians

Collection guide

Sepia-toned photo of 16 members of the Australian National Council of Women standing with Dame Maria Ogilvie Gordon on the steps in front of a building

[Members of the Australian National Council of Women with Dame Maria Ogilvie Gordon (centre front), Melbourne, ca. 1930s], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136817881

Sharing the journey to equality online through Trove

With support from Library Patrons, we have digitised the collections of some of Australia’s most remarkable women leaders.

News article

A woman with short hair and glasses smiles and looks at the camera while she holds a folded document in her hands. In the background are bookshelves with books and an open box on a trolley.

Mrs Judith Bartholomeusz, 2023 National Library of Australia Summer Scholar

'Buried treasure': Caroline Chisholm in the manuscripts collection

In 2024, Judith Bartholomeusz dove into the manuscripts collection to explore the career of Caroline Chisholm, and how it was influenced by ideas of 'utopias'.

Blog

A gold medal standing upright on a white cotton surface. The medal shows a figure holding a trumped and a wine amphorae. Behind the figure is a bust on a stand. In raised lettering around the edge of the medal are the words 'Olympiska Spelen Stockholm' The year '1912' is also present.

Olympic gold medal won by Miss Fanny Durack at Stockholm, 1912, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139311257

Women in sport

Topic

Today, at the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, tennis tournaments and a host of other sporting events, men and women can compete at elite levels. But this has not always been the case for sports and recreational physical pursuits.

Digital Classroom

Trailblazing women lawyers

Module

Explore the stories of Australian women who broke barriers in the legal profession in this learning module.

Digital Classroom

A group of women marches down a city street, holding various protest signs. Signs include messages like "Sexism is alive & living in Australia" and "Dress for comfort, not for style." A large sculpture is visible in the background.

John McKinnon & Australian Information Service, Women on the march wave their placards at the International Women's Day march, 1975, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137045864

Feminism in Australia

Module

Explore the evolution of women's rights in Australia from women's suffrage to contemporary movements like #MeToo in this learning module.

Digital Classroom

Sepia-toned photo of oral historian Hazel de Berg smiling while interviewing Michael Terry

Hazel de Berg with her tape recorder, interviewing Michael Terry, 1964, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140522717

Hazel de Berg oral history collection added to the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register

The Library is proud to house this collection, which preserves the voices of 1,290 Australians.

On the left, the cover of 'She Shapes History: Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women' which features a faceless statue of a woman standing on a piles of books on a pink and blue background. On the right is a photo of author Sita Sargeant smiling.

Book Launch: She Shapes History with Sita Sargeant

Sita Sargeant launched her debut book, 'She Shapes History: Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women'.

Event

Video

Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue sitting in an armchair and smiling

Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, image by Leanna King, courtesy of the Lowitja Institute

Speeches of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue now available online

The Library has recently digitised the speeches of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG.

News article

Zoe Smith, an NLA Scholar, sitting at a table in the Main Reading Room with a pile of books and smiling

2024 National Library Scholar Zoe Smith in the Main Reading Room

Uncovering the voices that shaped cultural understandings of domestic violence

Learn about the research of 2024 National Library Scholar Zoe Smith and what she found during her time at the Library.

Blog

Dr Jo Langdon standing and leaning on a table in the Special Collections Reading Room with a Royal Perth Hospital Nurses uniform worn including a red cape and two pilot's helmets and goggles on it

Dr Jo Langdon with Royal Perth Hospital Nurses uniform worn including a red cape from the Papers of Robin Miller Dicks, 1943-1978, nla.cat-vn4456021, and Air pilot's cap and goggles owned by Freda Thompson, c. 1934, nla.obj-139636320

Re-presenting Australian female pilots through poetry

Hear from Dr Jo Langdon about her research and experience as a 2024 Creative Arts Fellow.

Blog

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