Queensland from the visit of Miss Hannah Chenings, who in
1891 came from Adelaide on a lecturing tour in connection with an
effort to obtain a law for the better protection of young girls. Her
account of the Women's Franchise League in South Australia aroused a
wish for a similar organisation here, and after a period of silent
growth the Women's Suffrage Association was formed in 1894, mainly
through the instrumentality of Mrs. Leontine Cooper and Mrs. Maginie,
who, as Miss Allen, had been a member of the New South Wales Society.

At the first annual meeting of this association, in March, 1895, the
report showed that petitions had been presented with over 11,000
signatures, and that letters expressing themselves as favorable to the
measure had been received from thirty Members of the Legislative
Assembly. In the General Election of 1897 a large number of candidates
declared themselves in favor, but so far the effort to carry a Bill
through the House has met with disappointment, and the Women's
Suffrage Association are bending their efforts towards inducing the
Government to bring in a Bill. Here, as in the other Colonies where
they are still unenfranchised, the women feel deeply the injustice of
their exclusion from the Federal Referendum.

TASMANIA.[495]

As long ago as 1885 a Constitutional Amendment Act passed second
reading in the Tasmanian House of Assembly which provided for the
extension of the Franchise to unmarried women rate-payers, but
notwithstanding the support of the Government the question made no
further advance in Parliament.

In recent years a Bill to enfranchise women on the same terms as men
has passed the House of Assembly on several occasions with increasing
majorities, but the opponents are still too numerous to carry it
through the Upper House. The Women's Christian Temperance Union have
been the most energetic workers in its behalf.

[It will be noticed that in each of these Australian States the
Women's Suffrage Bill repeatedly passed the Assembly, or Lower House,
which is elected by the people, but was defeated in the Council or
Upper House, which is composed entirely of wealthy and aristocratic
members, who can be voted for only by these classes, and some of whom
are appointed by the Government and hold office for life. In 1901 a
Federation of the six States was formed with a National Parliament,
both Houses to be elected by the people. In June, 1902, a bill passed
this Federal Parlia