Mary Lee: The life and times of a 'turbulent anarchist' and her battle for women's rights by Denise George
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055960
Highly recommended. Themes: Biography. Mary Lee. South Australian
history. Women's rights. Politics. Denise George has written a
wonderful biography of one of the under-recognised pioneers in South
Australian history - Mary Lee. Mary Lee was born in tough times in
Ireland; later she worked hard in England as a teacher and came to
South Australia in 1879. Her drive, faith and passion to assist
those who were under-privileged came too and enabled her to make a
difference in our society. Mary saw injustice and instead of
remaining silent, she spoke out and wanted to ensure that inequality
was addressed. From relatively humble beginnings, she argued and
pressured local politicians and influential people to make it
possible for women to have a voice in politics by gaining the right
to vote. The result of her agitation and advocacy was to inspire
many to become involved in the Women's Suffrage fight; to put
pressure on the male politicians of the day; and ultimately to
enable South Australia to become the first Australian state to
provide the vote for women, and (somewhat accidentally) to be the
first government to allow women to stand for political office. Her
story though reveals that if not for her feisty and determined
advocacy, this 'first' for South Australia would not have occurred
when it did. Looking back in history can be confronting as we are
reminded that the things we now consider obvious rights have in fact
not always been the case. (I was stunned by the reference to the
need for advocacy to change the age of consent - initially raising
it from age 10 to 12, and also of the prevailing attitude of the
men towards the intelligence of women in that era.) The world has
indeed changed for women since Mary Lee lived and worked, and her
role in promoting women's rights in South Australia should be
remembered and acknowledged, and not just by those who are female.
This is a great book for those who love history and are interested
in the history of South Australia and particularly the position of
women in our history. It certainly should be on every library shelf
in South Australia, but also would make a great gift for history
buffs. Denise George has accessed many sources to paint a picture of
a woman, who because of her gender perhaps did not always have her
private life recorded for posterity. Fortunately, her advocacy has
left a collection of powerful letters and writing that George has
used to tell the story of this amazing woman who worked hard into
her senior years on behalf of South Australian women.
Highly recommended.
Carolyn Hull
