eowa = Milestones

1883	The first of the Married Women's Property Acts to be passed successively in the Australian States to give married women the same legal position regarding property as unmarried women.
1894	South Australia became the first State to accord women the right to vote. The other States followed: Western Australia (1899), New South Wales (1902), Tasmania (1903), Queensland (1905) and Victoria (1908).
1902	Non-Aboriginal women gained the right to vote in Federal elections thus acquiring equal suffrage with men in the first Federal election (1903). (In the USA, female suffrage in a national election was not achieved until 1920, and in the UK women did not achieve voting equality with men until 1928.)
1905	Flos Greig became the first woman to enter the legal profession in Australia, following the passage of legislation in Victoria in 1903 removing the prohibition on women practising law. Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales passed similar legislation in 1905, 1911 and 1918 respectively.
1912	A minimum wage for women's work was set by Mr Justice Higgins in the first Federal Arbitration award for women. (Until 1950 this was usually 54 per cent of the male rate.) 1921 Edith Cowan became the first woman in an Australian parliament when she was elected to the Lower House of the Western Australian Parliament.
1942	The Women's Employment Board was formed to draft women into essential war-time work at higher rates of pay. 1950 The Federal Arbitration Court made the first determination of a female basic wage which was set at 75 per cent of the male basic wage.
1958	The Industrial Arbitration (Female Rates) Amendment Act 1958 of New South Wales provided that upon application the Industrial Commission of New South Wales shall include in awards and industrial agreements provision for equal pay between the sexes. Where applicable, equal pay under such awards was to be phased in by 1963.
1966	The bar on married women as permanent employees in the Federal Public Service was abolished.
1967	All Aboriginal women (and men) were able to vote. 1969 The Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission ruled that 'equal pay for equal work' was to be phased in by 1972.
1972	The Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission extended the equal pay concept to 'equal pay for work of equal value', to be fully implemented by 30 June 1975.
1973	The Maternity Leave Act 1973 provided for maternity leave for Federal public servants.
1973	Elizabeth Reid was appointed adviser to the Prime Minister on matters relating to women; the first such position in the world.
1975	The first Sex Discrimination Act in Australia was passed by the South Australian Parliament (the Sex Discrimination Act 1975).
1979	The ACTU Maternity Leave test case set the standard in all awards for 52 weeks unpaid maternity leave for women. 1983 Australia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
1984	The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 was passed by the Federal Parliament.
1985-86	The Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission affirmed the equal pay principles of the 1972 equal pay case but rejected the comparable worth concept.
1985	Helen Williams was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Education, the first woman to head a Federal government department (1985-87).
1986	The Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986, (now known as the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999, was passed by the Federal Parliament.)
1986	Janine Haines became the first female leader of a political party in the Federal Parliament.
1990	Deidre O'Connor became the first female Federal Court Judge and President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
1990	Two women became State Premiers, Dr Carmen Lawrence in Western Australia and Joan Kirner in Victoria.
1990	The Australian Government ratified International Labour Organisation Convention 156 on Workers with Family Responsibilities (ILO 156), the aim of which is to enable workers with family responsibilities who are employed, or who wish to be employed, to do so without discrimination and without conflict between their employment and their family responsibilities. The ratification came into effect on 30 March 1991.
1992	The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs completed its inquiry into equal opportunity and equal status for women in Australia and published its report Half Way to Equal.
1992	The provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 relating to sexual harassment were strengthened and the Act was extended to industrial awards.
1992	The Final Report of the effectiveness review of the Affirmative Action Act was published and called for a policy of contract compliance for those employers who fail to comply with the requirements of the Act. Contract compliance was subsequently introduced.
1992	Amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act were made including proof of sexual harassment no longer required, applying sexual harassment law to students 16 years of age and over and discrimination on the basis of a person's family responsibilities is unlawful.
1993	Nurse's education transferred to the tertiary sector. 1993 The Industrial Relation Reform Act 1993 was passed by the Federal Parliament. The Act prevents discrimination on a wide range of grounds and requires the Industrial Relations Commission to take into account ILO 156 (workers with family responsibilities), among others.
1994	Family leave test case progressed through the federal Industrial Relations Commission. The Commission introduced the principle of family leave which enables employees to use their sick leave to care for dependants.
1995	Dr Wendy Craik became the first female director of the National Farmers' Federation.
1995	Beijing Declaration at the World Conference on Women declares "women's rights are human rights". The Platform for Action adopted at the conference contains dozens of references to human rights pertaining to women.
1996	The federal Workplace Relations Act 1996 was passed, which retains equal remuneration and parental leave provisions, and prohibits discrimination on a number of grounds including sex, marital status, family responsibilities and pregnancy.
1996	Jennie George became the first woman President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
1997	The NSW Industrial Relations Commission conducted a Pay Equity Inquiry, which reported to the Minister for Industrial Relations in 1998. The Inquiry found that there is a gender-based wage gap, and that the female-dominated occupations examined are underpaid in comparison to work of equal value done by men.
1998	The federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner commenced a national inquiry into pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. The final report will be produced by 31 May 1999.
1998	A Government-appointed Independent Committee completed a Regulatory Review of the Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986. The Review provided an opportunity for all interested parties to comment on the effectiveness of the legislation. The Government has now responded to the recommendations of the Independent Committee, and is in the process of implementing the reforms.
1999	The review resulted in changes to the Affirmative Action Act which was renamed Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999. More 'Milestones' available on the Office of the Status of Women website...