Australia since Federation Defining Moments, 1901–present

Learning module:

Investigation 2: The development of democracy and citizenship

2.2 Who gets a vote? Suffrage

<p>Voters outside a polling place, Brisbane, Queensland, 1907</p>

Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative Number 73409

A main feature of democracy is that there is universal suffrage — that is, that all adult citizens of the nation have the right to vote.

In 1901 most adult male Australians (aged 21+) had the right to vote, except for Aboriginal males in most states. Women in South Australia and Western Australia, including some Aboriginal women, had the right to vote, but women in the other states did not.

How did this change? When did it change in your state, and for the nation? And what other features have to exist for a nation to be a true democracy?

That’s what you are about to discover.

<p>Map of Australia, showing states and territories</p>

Eliane Touma

Voting information table

	ACT*	NSW	NT**	QLD	SA	TAS	VIC	WA	AUST
Founded	1911	1788	1911	1859	1836	1825	1851	1829	1901
Adult male suffrage	1858	1858	1856	1872	1856	1900	1857	1893	1901
Adult female suffrage	1902	1902	1894	1905	1894	1903	1908	1899	1902
Aboriginal male suffrage	1858	1858	1962	1965	1858	1900	1857	1962	1962
Aboriginal female suffrage	1902	1902	1962	1965	1894	1903	1908	1962	1962
Voting age lowered to 18	1973	1973	1973	1973	1973	1973	1973	1973	1973
Secret ballot***	1858	1858	1856	1859	1856	1856	1856	1877	1901
MPs paid	1889	1889	1887	1886	1887	1890	1870	1900	1901
Women could stand for election	1918	1918	1921	1915	1894	1921	1923	1920	1902
First women elected	1988	1925	1974	1929	1959	1948	1933	1921	1943
First Aboriginal MP elected	2011	2003	1977	1974	2012	2002	1979	1980	1971

*Until 1911 ACT was part of NSW. From 1911–1987 laws for the ACT were made by the Australian Parliament

**Until 1911 NT was part of SA. From 1911–1947 laws for the NT were made by the Australian Parliament

***Nobody can see how you vote

1. Look at the Voting information table above. Look at each feature of democracy to see when your state or territory got it. Then add the information to the summary table below.

Name of state or territory:

Feature of Democracy	Meaning	When achieved
Founded	Legally created
Adult male suffrage	Most adult males have a vote
Adult female suffrage	Most adult females have a vote
Aboriginal male suffrage	Adult Aboriginal males have a vote
Aboriginal female suffrage	Adult Aboriginal females have a vote
Voting age lowered	People aged between 18 and 20 have a vote
Secret ballot	People could vote with nobody seeing who they voted for
MPs paid	Members of parliament were paid so anybody could afford to become an MP
Women could stand for election	Women could be elected to Parliament
First women elected	Women were first elected to parliament
First Aboriginal MP elected	Aboriginal people were first elected to parliament

2. So far you’ve looked at features of democracy in your own state or territory. Now let’s focus on Australia as a whole nation.

Use the Voting information table above to work out when each of these features were introduced across Australia.

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