Please note this page includes the image and story of a deceased First Nations woman.
Aunty Marge was committed to creating a more equal and understanding society than the one she experienced.
Born at the Warangesda Aboriginal Mission on the Murrumbidgee River in New South Wales in 1904, Aunty Marge was a survivor of the Stolen Generation She was one of thousands of Aboriginal children removed from the care of their parents through government policies. At age 12, she was taken from her mother and placed in the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls.
Aunty Marge’s experiences in the home and as a domestic servant led her to advocate for First Nations rights from the 1930s. She was instrumental in founding the Australian Aborigines’ League to lobby state and federal governments on behalf of Aboriginal people. Her many achievements also included becoming the first woman on the Victorian Aboriginal Welfare Board in 1964 and helping to create the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service in 1973.
Proposed location: Footscray, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong country
Image source: Studio portrait by Dennis Mayor, State Library Victoria.
Agnes Chambers, Agnes Doig and the Wonthaggi Miners Women’s Auxiliary
The Auxiliary founding members were a group of striking miners’ wives, led by Secretary Agnes Chambers and Agnes Doig.
Aunty Dorothy Peters
Aunty Dorothy ‘Dot’ Peters AM was a widely loved and respected Yarra Yarra woman.
Barbara Rae
Barbara Rae was the top scorer and winning captain of the first women’s cricket match held in Australia.
Louisa Briggs
Louisa Briggs was a trailblazing Aboriginal rights leader, midwife and nurse.
The women of Montsalvat
The women who were the driving force behind Montsalvat’s design, construction and culture.
The Women's Public Art Program complements the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, which celebrates women's outstanding leadership and contributions to life in Victoria.
Follow along on social channels
Share in the stories of inspirational Victorian women via Women Victoria and DFFH’s social media channels.
Women Victoria
- Facebook: @womenvic
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Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
- Facebook: @VicGovDFFH
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Victorian Women's Public Art Program
The Victorian Women's Public Art Program aims to address the underrepresentation of women and their achievements through enduring public artworks.
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