The Centenary of Women's Suffrage Fountain is located in the grounds of Old Parliament House in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It commemorates the passing of the

Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 The ''Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902'' was an Act of the Parliament of Australia which defined a uniform national criteria of who was entitled to vote in Australian federal elections. The Act established, in time for the 1903 Australian feder ...

, which granted the right to vote to white Australian women over 21 years of age. In 2002, Senator Amanda Vanstone launched a design competition for a memorial to mark the centenary of women's suffrage in Australia. The winning design was an 18-metre tall red steel structure, in a fan design with 10 rotating blades. It had been designed by

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

artists Jennifer Turpin and Michaelie Crawford. The artwork was to be placed prominently behind the Old Parliament House building. However, due to delays with the completion of the artwork, Vanstone's office announced in September 2003 that the contract with the artists was cancelled. Simultaneously, there was considerable public and media controversy occurring over the appropriacy of the design and its placement in such a significant location. In 2003 the Minister for the Status of Women, Senator

Kay Patterson Kay Christine Lesley Patterson (born 21 November 1944) is a former Australian politician. She was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from 1987 to 2008, representing the state of Victoria. Background and education Patterson was born in ...

, proposed a fountain as a memorial structure. Cate Riley and Andrew Smith of the National Capital Authority worked on the design of the memorial and artist Mary Stuart created and placed the mosaic tiles. The fountain is a rectangular shape, with six jets on either side, and a weir at one end. The border of the pool carries text commemorating the passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act, and of the election of the following year – the first election in which women were able to stand for office, and to vote. A walkway leading away from the fountain is embedded with tiles describing achievements of women in the

Federal Parliament of Australia The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the ...

References

{{Suffrage 2003 sculptures 2003 establishments in Australia Buildings and structures in Canberra Fountains in Australia Landmarks in Canberra Monuments and memorials to women's suffrage Monuments and memorials in the Australian Capital Territory Outdoor sculptures in Australia Women's suffrage in Australia

See also

References