Petitions part 14

Signatures on Page One

 

Six signatures were pasted beneath the preamble on to the front page of the petiton when it was assembled in a roll to present to the parliament. The names appear to have been taken from different parts of the petition. Information about five of the ladies is provided below.

Mrs William McLean
Margaret Arnot was born on 7 April 1845 in Scotland. Her family migrated to Australia and settled in East Melbourne. Margaret became a school teacher teaching at a number of schools until she married William McLean in 1869. Margaret and William both became active members of the Collins Street Baptist Church.

Margaret's father was treasurer of the Melbourne Total Abstinence Society and Magaret also became actively involved in temperance organisations. Margaret was a founding member of the WCTU in Victoria and was president of the Melbourne branch. In 1891 she was acting president of the WCTU and was president 1892-1893 and 1899-1907.

Margaret was actively involved in the woman suffrage campaigns writing two of the pamphlets used to explain the cause, Womanhood Suffrage and More About Womanhood Suffrage and helped organise the Woman's Petition in 1891.

At the Victorian Alliance Conference in 1891, Margaret presented a paper on Womanhood Suffrage

Margaret's huband, William was a businessman running a succesful hardware empire until the economic depression of the 1890s. They had eleven children. Margaret died on 14 February 1923 and was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

Further information
McLean, Margaret (1845 - 1923) - article from Australian Dictionary of Biography online edition
McLean, William (1845 - 1905) - article from Australian Dictionary of Biography online edition

Mrs James Munro
Jane Macdonald was born in Scotland c1833. In 1853 she married James Munro, a printer. In 1858 the Munro opened the Victorian Permanent Investment Company and became a successful businessman until the economic depresion of the 1890s. The family lived in Armadale for a time and then in Toorak.They were members of the Presbyterian Church.

James joined the total abstinence movement in Scotland and in Melbourne continued his involvement in temperance groups including the Melbourne Total Abstinence Society and the Permissive Bill Association which became the victorian Alliance. Margaret supported his interest in the temperance cause.

James became a member of parliament and in 1891 was Premier of Victoria. He received the deputation on woman suffrage in May 1891 and suggested that the women should demonstrate that women wanted the vote. In September 1891 he presented the subsequent Woman's Petiton to the Legislative Assembly.

Jane and James had eight children. Jane died in 1904 and was buried at St Kilda Cemetery

Further information
Munro, James (1832 - 1908) - article from Australian Dictionary of Biography online edition

Marie E Kirk
Maria Elizabeth Sutton was born in London in 1855. In 1878 Marie married Frank Kirk an ironmonger who later became a bootmaker. Marie was a Quaker and worked as a missionary in the slums of London. She was an active member of the British Temperance Union and in 1886 attended a meeting in Toronto, Canada, to organise the World Woman's Christian Union. The Kirks migrated to Australia in 1886 and lived in Warragul before settling in Camberwell in 1888.

Marie Kirk was one of the founders of the WCTU of Victoria in 1887. Marie was secretary of the WCTU from 1888 to 1913 and was the first editor of the WCTU publication, The White Ribbon Signal, first published in 1892. She was also secretary of the WCTU of Australia.

Marie was instrumental in the co-ordination of the collection of signatures for the for the Woman's Petition in 1891 and in 1894 continued her involvement in the suffrage movement as one of the founders of the Victorian Women's Suffrage League in 1894.

The need for kindergartens in Melburne was another concern and in 1909 she founded the WCTU Kindergarten in Jesse Street, Richmond, later named the Marie E Kirk Kindergarten.
Marie Kirk died on 14 January 1928 and was buried at Box Hill Cemetery

Further information
Kirk, Maria Elizabeth (1855? - 1928) - article from Australian Dictionary of Biography online edition
Kirk, Maria (Marie) Elizabeth (1855 - 1928) Australian Women


Margaret Higinbotham
On 30 September 1854 Margaret Foreman married George Higinbotham, a lawyer and journalist who had migrated to Australia from Ireland earlier that year. In 1856 George became editor of the Argus newspaper, a position he held for three years. He returned to work as a barrister and then in May 1861 was elected to parliament for the seat of Brighton. One of his platforms was universal suffrage. He resigned from politics in the 1870s and returned to the law. In 1880 he became a Supreme Court Judge and in 1886 became Chief Justice.

Margaret and George has two sons and three daughters. George Higinbotham died on 31 December 1892. He was buried at Brighton Cemetery.

Further information
Higinbotham, George (1826 - 1892) - article from Australian Dictionary of Biography online edition

Bessie Lee (Mrs Harrison Lee)
Betsy Vickery was born at Daylesford in Victoria on 10 June 1860. Bessie had no formal education but became an avid reader. In 1880 she married Harrison Lee, a shiftworker with the railways. The Lees lived in Richmond. Harrison Lee did not approve with his wife's concern for the depressed in the community.

In 1883 Bessie began a career as a public speaker. A pioneer member of the WCTU of Victoria Jessie resigned from the WCTU Executive to work for the Victorian Alliance from 1890 to 1896. Speaking at meetings, taking pledges writing articles for the daily press and temperance publications, Bessie travelled throughout the country promoting the temperance message and became known as the 'Queen of Temperance'. Financially she survived with support from temperance supporters.

Harrison Lee died in 1908 and later that year Bessie married Andrew Cowie on the understanding that she could continue her work with the temperance movement throughout the world.
Bessie Cowie died in the United States of America on 18 April 1850.

Further information
Lee, Betsy (Bessie) (1860 - 1950) - article from Australian Dictionary of Biography online edition
One of Australia's Daughters: an autobiography by Mrs Harrison Lee. London: Ideal Publishing Union, 1900.

Petitions part 13

Suffrage and Temperance

Suffrage and Temperance Organisations
Two other women's suffrage groups in Victoria in 1891 were the Victorian Suffrage Society and Australian Women's Suffrage Society.

Victorian Women's Suffrage Society
The Victorian Women's Suffrage Society (VWSS) was created in 1884 by Henrietta Dugdale and Annie Lowe.
The first general meeting of the VWSS was held on 23 June where Henritta Dugdale proposed the motion, seconded by Annie Lowe, -

To obtain the same political privileges for women as now possessed by male voters, with the restriction of an educational test by writing legibly the name of the candidate on the ballot paper.

By July 1886 membership of the VWSS had reached 257. A major proposal was to work towards the introduction of a women's suffrage bill annually into Parliament until successful.
In the late 1880s membership of the VWSS decreased, partly due to the creation of new suffrage groups.

Further information
The Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society (1884 - 1908) - Australian Women's Archives Project
O'Donnell, Kate. Henrietta Dugdale: He-woman or pioneer suffragist in They are but women: the road to female suffrage in Victoria. 2nd ed.Suffrage City Press. 2008

Australian Women's Suffrage Society
Brettena Smythe formed the Australian Women’s Suffrage Society in 1888 after leaving the Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society because of her outspoken opinions on birth control.
Membership of the society was open to both men and women and a prominent member was Dr William Maloney, a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, who regularly introduced several (unsuccessful) women’s suffrage bills into parliament.
The Australian Women's Suffrage Society disbanded after Brettena Smythe died in 1898.

Further information
O'Donnell, Kate. Henrietta Dugdale: He-woman or pioneer suffragist in They are but women: the road to female suffrage in Victoria. 2nd ed.Suffrage City Press. 2008
The Australian Women’s Suffrage Society (1888 - 1898) - Australian Women's Archives Project

In the 1880s the various temperance groups in Victoria had formed an affiliated organisation and lobby group - the Victorian Alliance.

Victorian Alliance
Victorian Alliance for the Suppression of Liquor Traffic was formed in 1881. It had evolved from the Permissive Bill Association. James Munro was founding president of the Victorian Alliance.
It was the Victorian Alliance that arranged for the deputation on Woman Suffrage to the premier in May 1891 and members of the Victorian Alliance strongly supported the work of the WCTU, especially in relation to the collection of signatures for the Woman's Petition.

The Victorian Alliance provided the voice for many of the smaller temperance organisations in Victoria primarily through the publication of the Alliance Record - from 1881 to October 1887 as a monthly publication then bi-weekly until July 1892 when it returned to monthly publication. The issues published in 1891 included a page for the WCTU to use for communication with WCTU members. The Alliance Record therefore was a valuable tool for providing WCTU members and other readers with the latest information about WCTU activities. The Victorian Alliance annual conference provided opportunity for members of temperance groups to get together to discuss issues and strategies. In 1891 a section of the conference was devoted to the discussion of woman suffrage. Transcriptions of many of the sessions were published in the Alliance Record.

Petitions part 12

Suffrage and Temperance

Suffrage and Temperance Organisations
In the 1890s temperance groups supported suffrage groups in the campaign for woman suffrage. It was the network structure of the temperance groups, particularly the WCTU supported by the Victorian Alliance, and their use of media, particularly the Alliance Record which contributed to the large number of signatures being collected in only a few weeks.The Woman's Petition was an example of a number of groups joining together for one cause.

However, the support of the temperance groups could also be seen as being detrimental to the suffrage cause. The alcohol industry had connections with members of parliament and other business interests and strongly lobbied against the granting of female suffrage. There was a fear that allowing women to vote would alter the balance of power in parliament and legislation could be introduced that would impact upon the alcohol industry.

The members of the WCTU were aware that their actions would not always be popular with many people. As members of a temperance organisation they were considered, by many, to be wowsers. In addition they campaigned for woman suffrage and often saw their causes lampooned in the press. In the report of the activities for the year provided in the WCTU of Victoria 4th annual report it was noted -

We must be prepared to bear some persecution, many hard and untrue accusations will be hurled at us, which we must try and bear patiently until we have the power to prove that our only object in asking for the vote, is for the protection of Home, and for Purity.

The campaign against the alcohol industry also created a contradiction for the WCTU. In the 1890s many of the publicans of Melbourne hotels were women. Although the women of the WCTU were concerned about the evil of the effects of alcohol, especially on working class families, they also supported the right of the women hotel keepers have the independence to run their own business. This support for women to work however did not extend to the women who worked as barmaids. The WCTU considered barmaids should be banned from working in hotels.

The WCTU continued to support woman suffrage, especially in regard to ensuring that women were fully informed about the issues and were in a position so that when they did have the right to vote, they would use the vote well. During the following years new suffrage groups were established and the WCTU became affiliated with some groups and generally supported the suffrage organisations in their continuing campaign for the right for women to vote.

Petitions part 11

Woman's Christian Temperance Union

Franchise Department
As well as sharing a strong Christian, primarily Protestant, backgound many of the WCTU members had experience working with families facing poverty and hardship. Although it was commonly believed that a 'woman's sphere' was Home and a 'man's sphere' was Work there was also the growing belief that women should have the same rights as men, especially in making decisions that affected family and the Home. Having the right to vote in parliamentary elections would give women a voice in the decisions that affected their lives.
A summary of the reason why members of the WCTU supported woman suffrage and established a Franchise Department was provided in the history of the Geelong City Union of the WCTU 1888-1980 - For God, Home and Humanity by Judith Parteger.

The WCTU of Victoria established a Women's Suffrage Department in 1890. The WCTU advanced eqality and saw the vote as a woman's right as a citizen. The WCTU has always defended the principle of women having a life of usefulness and independence. It saw the vote as something women could do to further public good and express their special interests in family welfare. As most people believed that women, bearing the brunt of drunkedness in the home would vote against drink, it was also furthering the aims of the temperance organisations. Once the women did receive enfranchisement in 1902, in Federal elections, the call was to use the vote "wisely and well".(p60)

All members of the WCTU of Victoria were encouraged to support the work of the Franchise Department in obtaining the right for the women of Victoria to be able to vote. Mrs Wallace, Superintendent of the Franchise Department for Australasia, in 1891 outlined the requirements in a paper, Woman's work for suffrage. The debate on woman suffrage at a meeting held as part of the WCTU Convention in May 1891 provides many of the arguments on the question of women having the vote.

At the WCTU Convention in 1892 Mrs Wallace, in the Franchise Department Report, spoke about the petition and the failure to obtain the franchise:

There is no cause for discouragement in the failure to secure, in this first instance, that for which you petitioned. An "arrest of thought" has been secured. The question has been brought into the field of practical politics , made a debatable one, on which statesmen and politicians are expected to declare themselves. The granting of the ballot to women in this and other sections of the world may be delayed some time, but the discussion of the question will go on. We must work out the solution, and to this end consider the best means.

In the Alliance Record 11 July 1891 (p171), Mrs Harrison Lee issued A Woman's Plea for the Suffrage and stated her reasons as to why women should be able to vote -

I am a woman working with all the classes and conditions, for the benefit of our people. And knowing now the feelings of a very large number of our women, I plead on their behalf for Womanhood suffrage.

WHY

1st - Because it is their right.
2nd - because I feel assured they will use the privilege wisely and well.
3rd - Because they so intensely desire it.
They will use their power to advance public morality, to protect woman's kingdom - Home, to shield the weak, to denounce the wrong, and in every way uplift and enoble the individual and the nation.
They desire it because they are part of the nation, bound by its laws, taxed by its Government, responsible for its welfare. Allowed to share the burdens, yet not allowed the one privelege of voting.
They desire it now because they are powerless to protect their homes or children. with the vote they would have a voice in making laws for their own and their family's defence.
They desire it because it will place them where God placed them - side by side with woman's noble partner, man. A help-meet indeed.

Education was to be the major component of the continuation of the campaign. Each WCTU branch was to subscribe to the Alliance Record so that the members could be kept up to date with the latest information, pamphlets on woman suffrage were to be distributed and articles about suffrage submitted to the local papers. Members should also learn about political processes and an examination paper containing questions that the ladies should be able to answer was presented.
In April 1894 the WCTU organised a public meeting to encourage public assistance in obtaining woman suffrage and the result was the formation of the Victorian Women's Franchise League.

Petitions part 10

Womans Christian Temperance Union

WCTU departments

The work of the WCTU was divided into a number of departments. The following list shows the breadth of interests of the WCTU members. WCTU departments in 1891 included:

• Y Department
• Press Department
• Lockup and Gaol Visitations
• Peace and Arbitration
• Juvenile Work
• Rescue Work and Midnight Missions
• Heridity, Hygiene and Narcotics
• Scientific Instruction State Schools
• Foreign Correspondence
• Ship Visiting
• Work Among Cabmen, Railway Employees and Soldiers
• Hospital Visitation
• Evangelistic
• Scripture Instruction in State Schools
• White Cross and Shield
• Church and Sunday School
• Unfermented Wine
• Franchise

During the twentieth century drinking fountains were erected throughout Victoria to provide an alternative to alcohol if people were thirsty.

A number of these fountains exist today as marble and granite monuments such as the one in Sturt Street, Ballarat (1902)

 and in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne -opposite the Queen Victoria Market (1902).

 The smaller rough stone drinking fountain was erected in Bentleigh in 1961

WCTU branches

The symbol worn by members of the WCTU was a white ribbon representing Purity. The motto of the WCTU was For God, Home and Humanity. A central theme in the work of the WCTU was the importance of home and family life. The WCTU members were concerned with any issue that impacted upon the welfare of the family. With the large number of hotels and liquor outlets in Victoria in the 1880s and 1890s there was concern that the ready availability of alcohol resulting, in some cases, in alcoholism, could lead to violence and a reduction in family income and was therefore a threat to family life.

The members of the WCTU provided practical support for people, particularly women and children, in need as well as providing a strong education campaign on the dangers of alcohol and related issues. Members of the WCTU signed the pledge for total abstinence from alcohol and encouraged others to also sign the pledge.

The WCTU also supported the empowerment of women. Women were encouraged to become involved in social issues affecting the general community. The WCTU also generally supported the right, particularly of unmarried women, to earn a living. The role of women, especially opportunities in the workforce was changing in the 1890s.

The WCTU branches throughout Victoria held regular meetings to discuss issues and plan action. Members could also attend the annual WCTU convention held in Melbourne. Public meetings were also organised with speakers such as Mrs Harrison Lee promoting the message. Leaflets on issues such as the dangers of alcohol or the need for woman suffrage were circulated among the members or distributed in public places such as railway stations.

The press was utilised to promote the message relating to temperance and woman suffrage. The major organ for the temperance organisations was The Alliance Record which regularly reported any news regarding the work of the temperance movement in Victoria. Verbatim reports from conferences and meetings were printed as well as commentaries on articles published by the daily press such as the Argus and the Age newspapers. Branches were encouraged to have reports of local meetings published in local newspapers.

Petitions were used to canvass public opinion on issues and the members used this tool on a number of occasions. Collecting signatures for the Woman's Petition allowed the members of the WCTU to also promote the work of their organisation to a broader public.

Petitions part 9

Womans Christian Temperance Union

WCTU in Victoria

The banner appeared at the top of the WCTU section in each issue of the Alliance Record

The Woman's Christian Union of Victoria was established in 1887.

The WCTU began in the United States of America. According to the WCTU website the WCTU "was organized in 1874 by women who were concerned about the problems alcohol was causing their families and society. The members chose total abstinence from all alcohol as their life style and protection of the home as their watchword."

Branches of the WCTU spread to other countries including Canada in 1873, New South Wales (Sydney) in 1882 and New Zealand in 1885. In 1885 Mary Clement Leavitt, from Boston, visited Australia promoting the message of the WCTU and a number of local branches were formed, including branches in Victoria. In 1886 Mary Love arrived in Victoria from America and Marie Kirk arrived in Victoria from England. Both of these women helped found the WCTU of Victoria bringing the separate Victorian branches together into one network.

The WCTU groups in Victoria in 1857 were Ararat, Bairnsdale, Bendigo, Brunswick, Camperdown, Dunolly, Footscray, Horsham, Melbourne, Portland, Prahran, Sale, Walhalla, Warracknambeal, Warragul and Warrnambool.

A major strength of the WCTU was its network structure with branches quickly established in towns and suburbs in the colony. By 1891 there were 68 branches of the WCTU in Victoria plus 20 Young Woman's Christian Temperance Union branches. According to the 4th annual report there was a total of 3,250 members plus 338 "honorary members, Gentlemen".(WCTU 4th Annual Report page 3)

From its formation in Victoria the WCTU was an active organisation recruiting new members and establishing new branches. 1891 saw the formation of 27 new WCTU branches and 15 YWCTU branches providing an increase of 1,690 members for the year.

Petitions part 8

Collecting Signatures

The following extracts relating to the collection of signatures for the Woman’s Petition in 1891 were taken from the 4th Annual records and methods of work done by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Victoria during the year 1891 - Abstract reports from local branches published Jan 1892 (WCTU AR) and the Alliance Record (AR). Some extracts were also found in minutes of WCTU branches.

Fitzroy:
The result of our labours in securing signatures for the Women’s suffrage Petition were very gratifying, the result being 600 names. Our workers being few and time limited, the result was not as great as possible, nevertheless we found no difficulty in getting the names. (WCTU AR p15)

Geelong:
In reference to the petitions re ‘Womanhood Suffrage’ the opinion was expressed that if more time had been permitted a larger number of names could have been secured. (AR 19 September 1891 p238)

Hawthorn:
Mrs Harrison Lee was on the platform the last evening, and spoke for some length on the Woman’s Suffrage question, handling the subject in her own manner (AR 22 August 1891 p207)
Mrs Kirk gave a report of her visit to the Legislative Assembly, and our woman’s petition, and said we had hard work before us at the general election, the members for Hawthorn and the Eastern suburbs both being against us (AR 17 October 1891 p262)
Press Department – We met with great kindness from our local papers, also “Spectator” and “Southern Cross”, they are always willing to insert our reports. (130 members) (WCTU AR p16)

Horsham:
A thorough canvass of the town is being made for signatures to the Woman’s Petition (AR 22 August 1891 p206)

Malvern:
Mrs Marks, our superintendent of legislative department, brought the petition re Womanhood Suffrage before the meeting. Considerable interest is taken in the subject. (AR 5 September 1891 p221)

Maryborough:
During the year we have canvassed the town for signatures to the following petitions issued by the Executive: - …(c) Praying Parliament to Grant Womanhood Suffrage. In each case we met with great success and encouragement.’ (WCTU AR p. 18)

Morwell:
Two of our members have been doing a little in Tract Distribution, and we have brought the Woman’s Suffrage Question as prominently as we could before the public by circulating literature and taken the petition round and in other ways. We obtained 105 names to the petition. (WCTU AR p18)
Two of our members have spent one afternoon canvassing for signatures to the Womanhood Suffrage Petition, and met with very encouraging success. We hope to be able to furnish a goodly list of names as our share. They also embraced the opportunity to seek for new members for our Unions, and received several promises. (AR Aug 8 1891 p194) We obtained 105 signatures to the Woman’s Franchise Petition (AR 3 October 1891 p250)

Murrumbeena, Rosstown and Caulfield:
Our monthly meeting was held at Mrs Evan’s attended by a large number of members, showing a lively interest in the Woman’s Suffrage question, which at this time is engrossing the attention of the district. (AR 19 September 1891 p238)

Port Melbourne:
We have also put a large number of lists for the women’s petition into circulation. Eight of our members are systematically visiting from door to door advocating our principles and taking pledges “going about and doing good” (AR 3 October 1891 p250)

Portland:
Our members made a house to house canvass for signatures to the Woman’s Petition. They have also canvassed for ratepayers’ signatures, praying for a Local Opinion Poll to be taken… (WCTU AR p21)

Richmond:
Members of Parliament have been appealed to to support Womanhood Suffrage; petition also signed. (AR July 25 1891 p182)
We held a large meeting in Richmond Town Hall. When the Rev. D O’Donnell and Mr John Vale spoke on Womanhood Suffrage. (WCTU AR p22)

Stawell:
…last but not least our Women’s Suffrage Petitions, are among the happy reminiscences of the past year, yielding as they have done to spirit of happy union. (WCTU AR p22)

St Kilda:
… not forgetting the education given by Mesdames Lee and Fryers addresses on “Womanhood Suffrage” one member securing about 400 signatures to the Women’s Petition (AR 31 October 1891 p275)
Mrs Harrison Lee has addressed two Public meetings, under the auspices of the Union, on the Woman’s Suffrage Question (WCTU AR p23)

Seymour:
The Petition for Woman’s Suffrage was well signed. (WCTU AR p23)

Warrnambool:
Our sisters too have been working well for the Womanhood Suffrage petition; the last number given in was close to 1,000 signatures being one-fourth of the population of our little town. (AR 19 September 1891 p238) Over 1000 signatures to the Petition for Womanhood Suffrage were attained (WCTU AR p24)

West Brunswick:
The ladies of this union have done good work in house to house visitation for woman petition, and have been very successful (AR 22 August 1891 p206) Williamstown The woman’s franchise petitions have been warmly taken up by our members (AR 8 August 1891 p194)

Petitions part 7

Collecting Signatures

The following extracts relating to the collection of signatures for the Woman’s Petition in 1891 were taken from the 4th Annual records and methods of work done by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Victoria during the year 1891 - Abstract reports from local branches published Jan 1892 (WCTU AR) and the Alliance Record (AR). Some extracts were also found in minutes of WCTU branches.

Ballarat:
Womanhood Suffrage was also discussed and it was thought desirable to move in that matter as soon as possible Womanhood Suffrage was spoken of secretary to send to Melbourne readings of petition and literature (Ballarat WCTU minutes July 14 1891)
Correspondence read from Miss Ackerman, Mrs Brown and Mrs Kirk with samples of literature in reference to Womanhood suffrage (Ballarat WCTU minutes July 31 1891)
The Secretary mentioned that we had sent 1, 660 names to Melbourne for women’s petition (Ballarat WCTU minutes September 30 1891)

Beeac:
Although this district is so small we are glad to be able to report that there is every prospect of a large number of signatures being affixed to the petition re Womanhood Suffrage (AR 22 August 1891 p207)

Benalla:
District mapped and Woman’s Suffrage petitions given out to be filled (AR 22 August p206)

Burnley:
We are getting the petition largely signed by women for presentation to Parliament. We have written…also to MPs, urging them to support the bill for womanhood suffrage. (AR July 25 1891 p182)
Our members worked hard to secure signatures to the women’s petition, and we were very successful. Many more could have been obtained but for the uncertainty of the time when they were to be presented. (WCTU AR p12)

Brunswick:
Mrs Ferguson gave a very interesting address on Temperance, and urged all who had not already signed the woman’s suffrage petition to do so (AR 17 October 1891 p262)
During the past few weeks our sisters have been busy canvassing for signatures to the Women’s Petition for the Franchise, and while doing this we have been the means used by God in rousing several poor sisters who were far down in the toils of that fell destroyer strong drink. But thanks be to God they are now on their way rejoicing in the strength of One who is able to keep them. (WCTU AR p12)

Camperdown:
Our members took up the Woman’s Petition, but owing to the great deal of sickness about, were not able to make a house to house canvass. We managed to get 80 signatures, but found a great deal of ignorance and apathy on the question, still we feel the very fact of asking for the signatures has caused a seeking after knowledge. (WCTU AR p14)

Casterton:
Several of our members have spent two or three days canvassing for signatures with to the womanhood suffrage petition and met with great success, and we hope to be able to furnish a goodly list of names to share. (AR 5 September 1891 p221)

Castlemaine:
A special meeting was held on the 30th to discuss Womanhood suffrage. Mrs McLean’s paper was read, and after some discussion it was unanimously decided to take up that work. We intend not only to canvass the town, but the surrounding district as well. (AR 22 August 1891 p207)
Great interest is felt in the Womanhood Suffrage question: 604 signatures have been sent from this district. (AR 17 October 1891 p262)
Great interest has been taken in the Womanhood Suffrage Question, and 604 signatures have been taken from this district. (WCTU AR p14)

Clifton Hill:
We have been very busy of late obtaining signatures for the Women’s Petition, and are still at work. (AR 19 September 1891 p238)

Colac:
We have distributed the women’s petition, and some are doing very well with them (AR 5 September 1891 p221)

Dunolly:
Re Women’s petition (suffrage) Mrs Roberts proposed Mrs Bottrell sec. That 10 sh. be sent for letterature (sic) on the subject, said letterature (sic) to be distributed when the lists are circulated. (Dunolly WCTU minutes 22 July, 1891)
It was decided to ask Mrs Deensdan to circulate a list in Caresbrook. 220 signatures on each list’ (Dunolly WCTU minutes 29 July 1891)
All the lists re Womanhood Suffrage must be sent in next meeting’ (Dunolly WCTU minutes 12 August 1891) Send the lists re Woman Suffrage Petition 6 yards long, 872 signature Written to Mrs Kirk (list) and Mrs Vale (invitation)’ (Dunolly WCTU minutes 19 August 1891)
Mrs Hubble moved Miss Bennett sec that Mrs Lee be asked to give a lecture on Women Suffrage if she was willing to give it on Wednesday afternoon. Time if our meeting not on Tuesday.’ (Dunolly WCTU minutes 26 August 1891)
Prop. By Miss James sec by Mrs Treloar that Miss Stibbet (Majorca) be written to and asked to circulate a list re Woman Suffrage and one in Havelock, if possible. Also write to Mrs Smith (Dunolly) if she will circulate one. (Dunolly WCTU minutes 2 September 1891)
A letter was received from Mrs Smith (Dunolly) a list for Woman Suffrage had been circulated there by Mrs Thomas (Dunolly WCTU minutes 16 September 1891)
A letter was read from Mrs Wallace asking what interest had been taken in Womanhood Suffrage asked to Mrs Roberts to answer the query. Mrs Bowman rep. that the base is not up yet at railway stations Mrs England said she would write about poster and send an order for 5 sh. worth of litterature (sic).’ (Dunolly WCTU minutes 23 September 1891)
Letter from Secretary of Railways re base for litterature (sic) saying our request cannot be granted. (Dunolly WCTU minutes 21 October 1891)
Letter from Mrs Kirk read on Womanhood Suffrage (Dunolly WCTU minutes 30 December 1891)

East Brunswick
This week 26 of our members start canvassing with ‘Women’s Franchise Petitions’ Districts are marked out for each and have been taken up in good earnest (AR July 25 1891 p182)
The Woman’s Petition has been taken up with a will; we are getting a great number of signatures; the time being extended we are able to get more, we fully believe in women’s rights. (AR 19 September 1891 p238)

Echuca:
At a meeting held on 5th August the following resolutions were passed :- That the Womanhood Suffrage Petitions be as widely distributed as possible for signature (AR 22 August 1891 p206)
A number of signatures have been obtained to the suffrage petition, and we expect more when all are in. The feeling of the members is strong on that point. (AR 5 September 1891 p221)
There is little to report as we have only been in existence three months, but still something has been done to further the cause in our town, we have added a good many names to the Women’s Suffrage Petition, and distributed Temperance literature as widely as possible. (WCTU AR p14)

Petitions part 6

Collecting Signatures

Alliance Record 3 October 1891 page 250

Victorian Year-Book 1890-1891

The population of Victoria in April 1891 was 1,140,405. (p210)
The number of men was recorded as 599,172 and the number of women was recorded as 541,233. (p210).
The total population of 'Greater Melbourne' was estimated as 491,378. (p216)
The estimated population for Richmond City was 38,770. (p216)

Vida Goldstein also described the attitudes of women to signing the petition: -

The few women who refused to sign the Petition were, almost without exception, those whose interests ended at the garden gate. Very rarely were refusals made by the wives of working men and by the women who took part in social reform outside the house. These women came face to face with the adverse conditions of human existance, with social, industrial, and moral problems, and saw the urgent need for women taking part in public affairs.

The result of the canvass was that wherever the workers went, in the city or the country, they found the great majority of women in favour of the vote, and of being on a footing of equality with men in every respect.

Vida Goldstein concluded: -

A striking feature of the canvass was that this feeling of equality between men and women was vital in the industrial suburbs. Never once were the canvassers met by a working man who said, "I won't allow my wife to sign the Petition."

Pioneer Pathways - sixty years of citizenship 1887-1947. page 117

In the biography of Vida Goldstein - That Dangerous Woman - Janette Banford provides addional information on Vida's views regarding the women who were prepared to sign the petition (pp. 17 – 18) -

Canvassing door to door, gathering signatures for the petition, was Vida's first work for woman suffrage. It was also excellent training for a future parliamentary candidate. Vida later wrote that the few women who refused to sign were those "whose interests ended at the garden gate." It was very rare to be refused by those women who were the wives of working men or who worked for social reform outside the home. These women knew the suffering and hardship of women and recognised the need for women to take part in public affairs. Working men encouraged their wives to sign:

If the husband opened the door, he would call his wife, saying "Here’s a lady who wants to know if you want the vote." And, invariably, she did. But in the more favoured suburbs, a husband would quite frequently refuse to allow his wife to sign; or a woman would say meekly and wistfully, "I’d like to sign, but my husband won’t let me."

Petitions part 5

Collecting Signatures

 

Add Alliance Record 11 July 1891 page 171caption

One of the women who collected signatures for the Woman's Petition was Vida Goldstein, described in a history of the WCTU, Pioneer Pathways as 'one of those who took part in the battle and made a valuable contribution to the Woman's Movement and other citizen activities in this state'.
Vida Goldstein, in an article written in 1937, described the collection of signatures for the Woman's Petition.

To obtain signatures for the Suffrage Petition, a house to house canvass was instituted in as many districts as possible. It was not practicable to canvass the whole Colony thoroughly, for the canvassers had to be well equipped to deal with the arguments for and against Woman Suffrage.

Some of the stock arguments were: - "Woman's sphere is in the home." "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." "Women do not want the vote." "Man is the sturdy oak, woman the clinging vine." "Woman's brains weren't as big as men's." "There never has been a woman Shakespeare." "No great country has enfranchised women - only a few wild-cat American states have done so." "It was Eve who tempted Adam." "The bible says women must submit to their husbands."

Pioneer Pathways - sixty years of citizenship 1887-1947. page 116