A loo of one's own by Eleri Harris

This narrative non-fiction book is a light-hearted yet interesting look at the history of women in Australia's Federal Parliament. It is told mostly in highly illustrated comic-strip fashion, including pops of juvenile humour which younger readers will appreciate.  

Author/illustrator Eleri Harris describes herself on her website as "journalist, cartoonist, lady". She was inspired to write and illustrate this book after being told the tale during a walk with She Shapes History - a group whose mission is to "create more respect for women today by recognising their contributions in the past" (source: https://sheshapeshistory.com.au/about-us/)

The first two women ever to be elected to Federal Parliament commenced in 1943. They quickly found that there was no allocated ladies' toilet, so they developed a 'secret code' of leaving their shoes outside the men's toilets as a signal that there was a woman in there. 

Almost unbelievably the 'code' continued for over 30 years, as the first ladies' toilet was not installed in Parliament House until 1974!

At the conclusion of this story is an extra few pages of excellent information, which lends itself well to a short information report for students in Years 2-4. These pages include a summarised history of the first two women - Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney, including their contributions to Australian democracy, as well as details of their personal lives before and after politics. 

There is also a fabulous double-page spread showing a detailed timeline of women in politics in Australia, from 1856 (first woman in Australia to vote) to 2013 (first Indigenous woman elected to Australia's Federal Parliament). And finally, there's a description of Old Parliament House from 1927 to 1974, covering the building itself as well as all the jobs undertaken by women in that timeframe.

Themes: Equality, Accessibility, Women, Politics.

Kylie Grant