The First Wave
This first wave was significant because it created a new political identity for women. Australian women started to speak for themselves and argue for full legal and civil equality. They used peaceful and legal means to make their case for political enfranchisement. The suffragettes’ convincing arguments were outlined in leaflets such as the ones put together by the Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society entitled ‘Women’s Suffrage’ and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union entitled ‘Sixteen Reasons for Supporting Women’s Suffrage’, as seen by the images displayed to the left.