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Mary Lee

Mary Lee

Born
1821-02-14 12:00:00
Died
1909-09-18 12:00:00
Gender
Female
Place of migration
Migrated to/Born in Australia

Mary was born in to a Monaghan Methodist family with a zeal for social reform. She operated schools with her husband George until his death and then independently until, in 1879, she travelled to Adelaide to be with family. Mary agitated for change through letters to newspapers, speaking engagements and visitations, with organisation like the Social Purity Society, the Women’s Trades and Labor Union, and the Women’s Suffrage League. Overcoming prejudice against her gender and her birthplace, Mary was a driving force in achieving the women’s vote in South Australia, a precedent for other Australian colonies. A world-first, the Constitution (Female Suffrage) Act (1895) enabled women to vote and to stand for Parliament.

 

This Chronicle has been adapted by kind permission of the Aisling Society. The content has been inspired by the Aisling 20/20 Vision project, which forms part of a programme marking the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Consulate General of Ireland to New South Wales. 

The Aisling Society is an Irish Australian cultural society whose main interests are the study of the history, life, and culture of Ireland, and the effect of Irish heritage on Australian life.

Associated communities

Monaghan

Co. Monaghan, or Muíneachán in Irish, is located on the Border Region of Ireland.  We are famous for our ancient Irish craft of lace-making and we have many lakes,  forests and small mountains.  Our county town is Monaghan and we have a population of approximately 56,000.  We look forward to helping you connect with your ancestors’ place of origin.  

Other ancestors in this community

Buildings in this community

  • Cahan's Meeting House

    Location: Monaghan

    Lisnavane, County Monaghan

  • Hope Castle

    Location: Monaghan

    Castleblaney, County Monagham

  • Ulster Canal Stores

    Location: Monaghan

    Clones

Timeline events in this community

  • 1930s

    Travelling Folk in the 1930s

    <p>Between 1937 and 1939, primary school pupils across the Republic of Ireland interviewed the elderly in their neighborhood to collect and record local stories and folklore from the 19th century. "The Schools Collection" as it became known is held by the Dúchas Folklore Collection in UCD and is and has been digitized online at duchas.ie. One of the topics schoolchildren were asked to write about were "Travelling Folk" or An Lucht Siúil. </p> <p>Here is a selection of what "settled" children wrote about travelers in the late 1930s.</p>

    1938-01-01 12:00:00

  • 1930s

    1930 All Ireland Senior Gaelic Football Final

    1930-09-28 12:00:00

  • 1830s

    County Monaghan in the 1830s

    <p>A snapshot of pre-famine local history, as described in the "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland" by Samuel Lewis, 1837. (Much of the information collected here was submitted by members of the local gentry and clergy of the time).</p>

    1837-01-01 12:00:00

  • 1970s

    Dublin-Monaghan Bombings

    1974-05-17 12:00:00

Mary Lee