Chronology of Women's Suffrage

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	A public meeting in support of women's suffrage is held in the Albert Hall, under the auspices of the Women's Suffrage League, Woman's Christian Temperance Union and [Working] Women's Trades Union. Miss Spence moves "That as no country can be called free where one half its people are disfranchised, in the opinion of this meeting the time has arrived when the suffrage should be granted to the women of South Australia." The motion is carried unanimously. [Register 15 Mar 1893]

	Part I of a paper on women's suffrage read by Mrs Lee, last week, at the Adelaide Sociological Class, published in Voice. [Part II is published 28 Apr 1893].

	Letter to the Editor, "They say", from Mary Lee, on women's suffrage, published in Voice.

	Rt Hon Charles Cameron Kingston becomes Premier of South Australia.

	At a meeting of the Council of the Women's Suf-frage League it is resolved "That this council adheres unflinchingly to its cardinal principle, viz., the demand for women's suffrage on the same conditions as those which apply to men." [Voice 7 Jul 1893]

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) Dr J.A. Cockburn moves for leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to provide for adult suffrage. Clause 5 provides that "No proclamation shall be issued pursuant to the preceding section until the Chief Secretary shall have certified to the Governor that on a refer- ence to all electors for the House of Assembly and to all adult women in the province, a majority of such electors who vote on the question, and a majority also of such women who vote on the question, have affirmatively answered the questions mentioned in the next section, or one of them." The questions to be referred to the people are:- "Do you wish the franchise for the Legislative Council to be extended to women?" and "Do you wish the franchise for the House of Assembly to be extended to women?" Upon the answer to these questions would depend the proclamation which would bring the Act into force. Motion carried. Bill introduced and read a first time.

	Letter to the Editor, from Mary Lee, on women and the referendum, published in Advertiser.

	Mrs Mary Lee gives an address on the subject of women's suffrage to the Hindmarsh Democratic Association. It is resolved:- "that in the opinion of this meeting no country can be truly said to be free where half its people are disfranchised." The following motions are also agreed to:- "That as in the opinion of this meeting the time is ripe for the enfranchisement of the women of South Australia the Kingston-Holder Government be respectfully requested to give practical effect at an early date to the principle of adult suffrage, which they have already endorsed by including it in their policy. That the Government be asked not to refer the question of women's suffrage to the referendum, but put the same before Parliament in the usual way." [Observer 22 Jul 1893]

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) Second reading.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading.

	Petition in favour of women's suffrage signed by 245 persons presented in Parliament (House of Assembly). Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading. At the annual convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union the following resolutions are passed:- "Firstly - that we thank the present Government for bringing in a Bill to give this right [suffrage] to women on the same terms as to men. Secondly - that we earnestly protest against the proposal to peril [sic] the safety of the measure by submitting it to a referendum vote... Thirdly - that we consider the clause to debar women from becoming members of Parliament unnecessary and offensive..." [Advertiser 8 Sep 1893]

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading. The Bill is read a second time.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1893 (House of Assembly) The motion for the third reading of the Bill is declared negatived. Final vote:- Ayes 24, Noes 23. There is not an absolute majority and the Bill cannot be further proceeded with.

	Question in Parliament (House of Assembly) "Is it the intention of the Government to bring forward the Adult Suffrage Bill this session again?" The Attorney-General replies "the matter is under the consideration of the Government, who will shortly announce their decision."



	Mrs Mary Lee delivers a lecture on women's suffrage at Templers. [Voice 9 Mar 1894]

	Mrs Mary Lee delivers a lecture on women's suffrage in the Port Pirie Institute. [Port Pirie Advocate 17 May 1894]

	Report on Mary Lee lecturing on women's suffrage in the north [Quorn, Port Augusta and Port Pirie] published in Voice.

	Mrs Mary Lee delivers a lecture on women's suffrage at the Port Adelaide Democratic Club. [Voice 1 Jun 1894]

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Introduced and read a first time. "... the 1894 bill [presented by Attorney-General J.H. Gordon] ... had only two clauses: it gave women the vote for both Houses on the same basis as men, and it excluded them from sitting in Parliament ... Then Ebenezer Ward moved that the clause forbidding women to sit in Parliament should be struck out ... The amendment was carried. The right of candidature had been given to South Australian women by its opponents!" [Audrey Oldfield, Woman suffrage in Australia]

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Second reading.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Resumed debate on second reading.

	Report of Letter to the Editor, from Mary Lee, on women's suffrage, published in Voice.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Resumed debate on second reading.

	Letter to the Editor, from Mary Lee, on women's suffrage, published in Voice.

	The Women's Suffrage League holds its annual meeting in the Albert Hall. The Chairman, Hon Dr Cockburn, in his address says that "this is the seventh time the League has met to record the year's progress. Seven is an excellent and for- tunate number, a good number to attain, and a good number to remain at." Mrs Mary Lee reads the annual report, which is adopted. [Observer 28 Jul 1894] Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Resumed debate on second reading.

	Report of Letter to the Editor, from "Whipster", on women's suffrage, published in Register.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Adjourned debate on the motion "that the Bill be now read a second time."

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Adjourned debate on the motion "that this Bill be now read a second time."

	Petition from 44 women opposed to the Adult Suffrage Bill presented in Parliament (Legislative Council). Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) Adjourned debate on the motion "that this Bill be now read a second time." After a call for division, the second reading is declared carried:- Ayes 13, Noes 9.

	Petitions against the Adult Suffrage Bill signed by women residing in different parts of the colony presented in Parliament (Legislative Council) Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) The Bill is reported. The Chief Secretary moves that the Bill be read a third time on the following day. Motion carried.

	Letter to the Editor, from "A Woman", on women's suffrage, published in Register. The Hon G.C. Hawker presents to the House of Assembly a petition signed by 11,600 adults in South Australia in favour of the extension of the franchise to women on the same basis as to men. The petition is received and read. The signatures on the petition have been collected by the Women's Suffrage League and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The petition is over a hundred and twenty yards in length, and is decorated with gold ribbon - the women's suffrage colours. [Voice 24 Aug 1894] The petition is ordered by the House of Assembly to be printed, 30 Aug 1894 [prayer only]. "The petition of the undersigned adult residents in the province of South Australia: Humbly sheweth - I. That your petitioners are convinced of the absolute justice of giving women the franchise for both Houses of Parliament, on the same terms as it is now or may hereafter be granted to men. II. They therefore respectfully pray that the necessary legislation may be passed by your Honourable House with the least possible delay." [SAPP 75/1894] ["The petition ... omitted the last clause [of the 1888 Constitution of the Women's Suffrage League], which denied any ambition to enter Parliament."] [Audrey Oldfield, Woman suffrage in Australia] Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (Legislative Council) The Chief Secretary moves that the Bill be read a third time. The third reading is declared carried:- Ayes 13, Noes 9. The Chief Secretary moves that the Bill do now pass. Motion carried. Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) The Bill is received by message from the Legislative Council, and is read a first time. The first reading is declared carried.

	Petition against the Adult Suffrage Bill from 43 women presented in Parliament (House of Assembly).

	Letter to the Editor, from "F.R.", on women's suffrage, published in Observer.

	Petition against the Adult Suffrage Bill signed by 31 persons presented in Parliament (House of Assembly).

	Petition against the Adult Suffrage Bill from 45 women presented in Parliament (House of Assembly).

	Mrs E.W. Nicholls, President, Woman's Christian Temperance Union of South Australia, sends the following letter, on behalf of the W.C.T.U. Convention, to every member of both Houses of Parliament:- "Sir, - On behalf of the Sixth Annual Co- lonial Convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of South Australia, lately held, which represented a membership of 1540 women, we respectfully ask your vote for the Adult Suffrage Bill, now before the House of Assembly. Our Union has patiently worked for the education of public opinion on this question during the past six years, in conjunction with the Women's Suffrage League of South Australia, and now that the Bill giving suffrage to women on the same terms as to men has safely passed the Legislative Council, we hope that it will not be lost, either through the addition of amendments or the lack of the necessary absolute majority of votes." [W.C.T.U. Minutes of Convention]

	Petition against the Adult Suffrage Bill from 35 women presented in Parliament (House of Assembly).

	Petition against the Adult Suffrage Bill from 2006 women presented in Parliament (House of Assembly). Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) Second reading.

	Petition against the Adult Suffrage Bill from 42 persons presented in Parliament (House of Assembly).

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading.

	Petition against women's suffrage presented in Parliament (House of Assembly).

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) Adjourned debate on second reading. The motion for the second reading is declared carried. Final vote:- Ayes 28, Noes 12.

	Welcome home meeting for Catherine Helen Spence at the Caf� de Paris. [Register 19 Dec 1894] Petition in favour of the Adult Suffrage Bill from 209 ladies presented in Parliament (House of Assembly). Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) The Bill is reported, the report is adopted. The Minister of Education moves the third reading.

	Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 (House of Assembly) It is now some time between 12.00 midnight and 12.59 a.m. The debate on the Bill is adjourned till later the same day. The speaker takes the chair at 10.30 a.m. Adjourned debate on third reading. Call for a division results as follows:- Ayes 31, Noes 14. There being the necessary statutory majority in favour of the Bill, the third reading is declared carried and the Bill passed.

	At a meeting of the Women's Suffrage League it is resolved:- "That the Women's Suffrage League of South Australia, through its executive, places on record its heartiest thanks to the Kingston Government for their brave assiduity in passing the Adult Suffrage Bill through Parliament." [Register 22 Dec 1894]

	At the quarterly colonial executive meeting of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of South Australia the announcement that the Adult Suffrage Bill has been carried is received with enthusiastic approval. It is resolved to send "cordial thanks" to all members of both Houses of Parliament who voted for it. [Register 24 Dec]

	The Adult Suffrage Bill 1894 is reserved for Her Majesty's assent. When assented to, it will immediately enfranchise more than 70,000 women. [Legislative Council]

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