Confirmation of Candidature - Recovered from the Silence: The Governors' Wives of the Colony of Queensland - 1859-1901

Women's `voices', particularly those of elite women, have been largely silenced in Australian colonial and early Federation histories which are dominated by economic growth, exploration, pastoralism, or the bushrangers' lives - key aspects of British-Australian history. While feminist historians first turned their attention to issues of the labour movement, suffragists, and pioneering women in various fields, more recently, work is being done on women's everyday life experiences in Australia, although mostly in the colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. Yet elite women are rarely mentioned, meaning they have been dismissed by both `traditional' history and feminist history. While the colony of Queensland had a life span of little more than 40 years, eight Governors served their Queen as head of state, five of whom were married. This research project focuses on the hidden lives of the five Governors' wives between 1859 and 1901. It explores their contributions to the colony's establishment, how their roles were publicly constructed, and the lasting impact they had on the colony.  Through empirical analysis of private and public primary evidence and taking a feminist approach of recovering voices, this project explores the contributions they made through initiatives and charitable efforts in providing health and safety for women and children as well as the destitute and sick, and aims to reveal their hidden legacy through the inclusion of their `voices' into history.

For more information, please email the Graduate Research School or phone 0746 311088.