Catherine Helen Spence (21 October 1825 – 3 April 1910)

Catherine Helen Spence was a leading South Australian suffragist, teacher, writer, social and political reformer. A lifelong campaigner for electoral reform and the women’s suffrage movement, she was Australia’s First Female political candidate, unsuccessfully standing for the Federal Convention held from 4-6 March 1897 in Adelaide, coming 22 of 33 candidates.

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Video: Watch Catherine Come Back to Life

As part of the 2018 Adelaide Fringe, The Muriel Matters Society helped initiate the very successful ‘A Soapbox for Democracy’. Produced by Joanne Hartstone (who also doubled as the person who played Elizabeth Webb Nicholls in the clip!) in association with the Centre of Democracy.

Filming by Peter Tee.