English: Irene Longman (1877-1964) : [suffragette movement in Queensland]

Portrait of the young Irene Longman, Queensland's first female politician. Irene Maud Longman was the first woman both to stand for and be elected to the Queensland Parliament. She was a member of the Country and Progressive National Party and served the Electorate of Bulimba for the period 11 May 1929 to 11 June 1932. Irene was born at Franklin, Tasmania in 1877 and educated at Sydney Girls' High School and Redlands (SCEGS) North Sydney. She taught at Normanhurst in Sydney and at Rockhampton Girls' Grammar School. She gained a kindergarten diploma. In 1904 Irene married Hebert Albert Longman, director of the Queensland Museum (1917-45), in Toowoomba.

January 2005 marks the centenary of women's suffrage in Queensland.On 5 January 1905, two years after the formation of the Queensland Women's Electoral League, the Electoral Franchise Bill was introduced into the Legislative Assembly to give the women of Queensland the right to vote. The Elections Acts Amendment Bill, providing the necessary machinery was introduced at the same time. Despite some misgivings about abolishing the plural vote, and difficulty with postal voting, these issues were overcome and the legislation giving the women of Queensland the right to vote was finally passed. It was assented to by the Lieutenant-Governor on 26 January 1905.