{"id":3109,"date":"2019-07-01T16:11:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T06:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au\/?page_id=3109"},"modified":"2024-01-17T14:24:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T03:24:17","slug":"wayward-women-postscript","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au\/past-exhibitions\/wayward-women\/wayward-women-postscript\/","title":{"rendered":"Wayward Women? Postscript"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3>Improving the Lives of Women and Children<\/h3>\n<p>Many of the women in this exhibition were the victims of poverty, and a harsh moral code that judged men and women differently. Few women, married or single, were paid a living wage at this time. But there were those who had a vision for a better future. Reformers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au\/vida-goldstein-1869-1949\/\">Vida Goldstein<\/a> or the Reverend Charles Strong, and organisations like the Women\u2019s Christian Temperance Union and the Social Improvement Society, argued for social welfare, the abolition of capital punishment and equal rights for women. They advocated on behalf of many of the women featured here and in time they succeeded.<\/p>\n<p>In 1901 Australia saw itself as a young progressive nation and over the following decades the foundations of a social welfare system were established. Some reforms, like the creation of an old-age pension, were early radical moves. Others took a surprisingly long time to realise, and some, like equal pay, are still to be fully achieved. Below we list some of the social and legal reforms introduced over the twentieth century. They show just how forward-thinking those early reformers, like Vida Goldstein and Charles Strong, were for the times.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findandconnect.gov.au\/guide\/vic\/E000536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Infant Life Protection Act 1890 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Required that nursing homes for infants be registered and inspected.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Marriage Act Amendment Act 1900 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Allowed all women the right to claim confinement expenses and maintenance from the father of their child.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.austlii.edu.au\/au\/legis\/vic\/hist_act\/opa1900162.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Old-age Pensions Act 1900 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Provided a means-tested pension for white men or women aged over 65, subject to some conditions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundingdocs.gov.au\/item-sdid-88.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 (Commonwealth)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Enfranchised white women and allowed them to stand for election to Parliament.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findandconnect.gov.au\/ref\/vic\/objects\/pdfs\/D00000177%201906%20Children's%20Court%20Act.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Children\u2019s Court Act 1906 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Established a separate closed court to hear charges against children.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/Details\/C1908A00017\/Download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Invalid and Old-Age Pensions Act 1908 (Commonwealth))<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Provided a means-tested pension to white men and women over 65 subject to some conditions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.austlii.edu.au\/au\/legis\/vic\/hist_act\/asa1908149.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Adult Suffrage Act 1908 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Enfranchised white women to vote in Victorian elections on the same terms as men, but not to stand for election. Victoria was the last state in Australia to enfranchise women.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/Details\/C1912A00008\/Download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Maternity Allowance Act 1912 (Commonwealth)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Established a one-off payment of \u00a35 to be paid to any white woman (married or single) on the birth of a child.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Parliamentary Elections (Women Candidates) Act 1924 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Allowed enfranchised women to stand for election to Parliament.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findandconnect.gov.au\/ref\/vic\/objects\/pdfs\/D00000181%201928%20Adoption%20of%20Children%20Act.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Adoption of Children Act 1928 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Created a legal mechanism for children to be adopted replacing former informal arrangements.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www8.austlii.edu.au\/cgi-bin\/viewdb\/au\/legis\/cth\/num_act\/cea194181941183\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Child Endowment Act 1941 (Commonwealth)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Established an allowance paid directly to the mother of a child born in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/Details\/C1942A00019\/Download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Widows\u2019 Pension Act 1942 (Commonwealth)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Entitled a white woman \u2018of good character\u2019 to a pension if she was widowed, divorced or deserted.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www5.austlii.edu.au\/au\/legis\/vic\/hist_act\/jja1964257\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Juries (Women Jurors) Act 1964 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Theoretically made women eligible to serve on juries. Victoria was the last state to do so. In practice many impediments were put in the way until the 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalhealthrights.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/SC-1969-R-v.-Davidson.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Menhennitt Ruling 1969, Victorian Supreme Court<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ruling by Justice Menhennitt in <em>R v Davidson <\/em>that abortion might be performed legally by a medical practitioner to protect the physical or mental health of the woman.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/Details\/C2004A00004\/Download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Death Penalty Abolition Act 1973 (Commonwealth)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Abolished the death penalty under the law of the Commonwealth and Territories.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/classic.austlii.edu.au\/au\/legis\/cth\/num_act\/ssa197311973193\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Social Services Act (No. 3) 1973 (Commonwealth)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Introduced a \u2018supporting mother\u2019s benefit\u2019 for married or unmarried women without a supporting partner.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.atua.org.au\/biogs\/ALE1402b.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission 1974<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Extended the adult minimum wage to women.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Crimes (Capital Offences) Act 1975 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Abolished the death penalty in Victoria.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www8.austlii.edu.au\/cgi-bin\/viewdb\/au\/legis\/vic\/hist_act\/eoa1977250\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Equal Opportunity Act 1977 (Vic)<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex or marital status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Improving the Lives of Women and Children Many of the women in this exhibition were the victims of poverty, and a harsh moral code that judged men and women differently. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2850,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Wayward Women? 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