Margaret Edgeworth David McIntyre, (28 November 1886 – 2 September 1948) was the first woman elected to the

Parliament of Tasmania The Parliament of Tasmania is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Tasmania. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of the Governor of Tasmania, the Tasmanian House of Assembly (the lower house), and ...

, representing the seat of

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

in the Legislative Council.

Life and career

McIntyre was born in Maitland, New South Wales. Her parents, Sir Tannatt Edgeworth David, a renowned geologist and Antarctic explorer, and Caroline Martha David, a teacher, had moved to Australia in 1882. She was encouraged to become educated and studied for a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

, graduating in 1907. She married Dr. William Keverall McIntyre at St John's Ashfield in 1908, and they moved to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, where he set up medical practice. The couple had four children, including poet Anne Godfrey-Smith. McIntyre was widely involved in the community, and for these services she was appointed an OBE in 1948. Her activities included serving as the State Commissioner for

Girl Guides Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

from 1940–1948, she was awarded the Silver Fish Award, the movement's highest adult award, in 1947. She served on the board of the Queen Victoria Hospital and the ABC advisory committee. She was the vice-president of the

Young Women's Christian Association The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

(YWCA). She was also involved in the establishment of the Brooks Community School in Launceston and founded and directed the Launceston Players for 22 years. In 1948 she was elected as an independent candidate for the seat of Cornwall, becoming the first woman in the Tasmanian Legislative Council. Six months after her election, while returning from a

National Council of Women of Australia The National Council of Women of Australia (NWA) is an Australian organisation founded in 1931. The council is an umbrella organisation with which are affiliated seven State and Territory National Councils of Women. It is non-party political, no ...

Conference in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

, she was killed in the crash of the ''Lutana'' near

Quirindi Quirindi ( or ) is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Liverpool Plains Shire. At the , Quirindi had a population of 3,444. It is the nearest link to Gunnedah to the west and Tamworth to the north. ...

on 2 September 1948. She was aged 61.

References

Papers of the David Family
at the National Library of Australia

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McIntyre, Margaret 1886 births 1948 deaths Independent members of the Parliament of Tasmania Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Australia Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1948 Accidental deaths in New South Wales Politicians from Sydney 20th-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian women politicians Women members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Australian people of Welsh descent 19th-century Australian women Recipients of the Silver Fish Award