Edith Cowan

Edith Dircksey Cowan was born on August 2, 1861, near Geraldton, Western Australia. Overcoming childhood tragedy—her mother died in childbirth and her father was executed after murdering his second wife in a fit of delirium—Cowan dedicated her life to social welfare, child protection, and women's rights.

She co-founded the Karrakatta Club, helped establish King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, and was appointed one of Australia's first female magistrates in the Children's Court. In 1921, running for the Legislative Assembly seat of West Perth for the Nationalist Party, she won election, becoming the first female MP in Australian history. Edith Cowan University in Perth is named in her honor.