The 1891 Women's 'Monster' Suffrage Petition

In 1891 Victorian Premier James Munro agreed to introduce a bill into parliament that would grant women the right to vote, but only if it could be clearly demonstrated that ordinary women wanted the vote. 

In an extraordinary effort, a number of women's groups, including the Victorian  Women's Christian Temperance Union, the Temperance Alliance, Women's Trade Union and the Victorian Women's Suffrage Society, organised a six week door-knocking campaign in which they collected some 30,000 signatures from households all around Victoria. 

This 'Monster' Petition indicated without a doubt that ordinary Victorian women definitely wanted the right to vote. 

The  calico-backed pages of the petition were glued together and rolled onto a cardboard spindle before being presented to Parliament. It's a huge artefact - about 260 metres long - and must have been a spectacular sight when it was carried into parliament. 

Today it is looked after by the Public Record Office of Victoria and you can read more about it here.

We are very privileged that the petition can be seen online and to give you an idea of what you will see if you check it out, here's a small section of one page that relates to my Brunswick street:

You can search for names of people, or people in a street, or an entire suburb (or other location) on the Parliament of Victoria's website here. Just keep in mind that you're more likely to find a rural location if it was on a railway line (eg Bairnsdale, Casterton, Castlemaine, Horsham).

You may also be interested in reading about the Great Petition Sculpture, created in 2008 to celebrate 100 years of women's right to vote in Victoria. It's located in Burston Reserve, near the Victorian State Parliament Building. 

Two views of the Great Petition Sculpture I took last winter.

Because I'm interested in the history of my local area (Moreland), I've started a list of the Moreland women who signed the suffrage petition. I've only researched a couple of them so far (three in Coburg and all the women from my street plus a couple of other Brunswick women).

You can read about one of the women, Teresa Baxter of Wilson Street, Brunswick, here. 

Teresa Baxter, as seen in the Herald, 16 December 1916.

As you can imagine, there are many, many Moreland names on the petition. Here is just a tiny sample:

Farrell, A         290 Weston Street, Brunswick

Farrell, J          Edward Street, Brunswick

Farrell, Mary   144 Barkly Street, Brunswick

Femis, Mrs      Brunswick

Ferguson, L T  40 George Street, Brunswick

Fergusson, Fanny        5 MacKay Street, Brunswick

Fidoe, Mrs       Albert Street, Brunswick

Fielding, E, Mrs          Nash Street, Brunswick

File, Elizabeth Lydia Street, Brunswick

Findlay, J        135 Union Street, Brunswick

Finn, F., Mrs   Wilson Street, Brunswick

Fisher, Ada     Belfast Road, Brunswick

Fisher, E          Weston Street, Brunswick

Fitch, Mrs        Pearson Street, West Brunswick

Fitzgerald, E, Mrs       Clarke Street, Brunswick

Fitzmaurice, C Barkly Street, Brunswick

Fitzsimons, Ellen         Weston Street, Brunswick

Flegg, A, Mrs  21 William Street, Brunswick

Fleith, Alicia   Albert Street, Brunswick

Fleming, A, Mrs          Albert Street, Brunswick

Fleming, Jane  Edward Street, Brunswick

Fleming, K      Brunswick

Fletcher, I        Evans Street, Brunswick

Flinn, Mrs        Burchet Street, Brunswick

The few stories I've uncovered so far make interesting reading, but I'd need a lifetime (and longer) to research everyone!

It'd make a great community project, though, and if you agree with me, let me know. 

This year's International Women's Day global theme is Balance for Better, promoting greater gender balance around the world. Australia's theme is More Powerful Together. 

The 'Monster' petition is a great example of both themes. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to commemorate the achievement of these women from a now distant past and remind all Australians that there are many ways to work together to make a difference.