Completely Unnecessary

In yet another act of shameless self-promotion, that Victorian suffragists piece I’ve been crapping on about for a year and a half has been published by the Public Records Office Victoria.

You can click here for the full issue of the journal or link directly to the article in html or pdf. (I recommend the pdf - they made the pictures look all fancy!)

Here’s the abstract:

In 1891, women’s suffrage advocates collected the signatures of some 30 000 Victorians, all supporting the vote for women. Quickly dubbed the ‘Monster Petition’, it remains one of the largest documents ever presented to Parliament. Some of the most famous names in the suffrage movement grace the ‘Monster’, but the majority of women who signed it were not well-known names. This paper explores the lives of seven women who were left out of the history books. Working-class and living in Davis Street, North Carlton, Agnes, Eliza, Helen, Ellen, Sarah, Ada and Jessie were not ‘history makers’, yet they still made history. Their stories paint a fuller, more accurate picture of women’s history and the history of the suffrage movement in Victoria. This paper argues for the significance of all historical figures, and suggests that the smallest of us can play a role in major historical events.

The other articles look really interesting. And the whole journal’s online and free to read!

Vaguely Related

• World’s Dorkiest Stalker
• Wind (and a little bit of media studies!)