Great-grandmothers and great-great grandmothers GO, GO, GO to the 1903 polling booth

On the occasion of International Women's Day 2023, I would like to honour my four great-grandmothers who registered to vote for the first time 120 years ago. Their names were:

• Catherine CARRICK - she registered with her married name, Catherine KINGSBURY
• Margaret FLEMING - she registered with her original name as she was not yet married in 1903
• Margaret BUTLER - she registered with her married name, Margaret KENELLEY
• Margaret RILEY - she registered with her married name, Margaret NORTHCOTE

I am so proud of all of my four great-grandmothers who all registered to vote in 1903, along with about 80,000 other women in Australia, following the law that was passed the year before in 1902 to allow "all" women to vote who were aged 21 years and over.  Clearly this law was not inclusive of all women, it allowed some women to vote. Although it was a great step forward for equality, the law didn't include First Nations people and this is one of the most awful aspects of this law.

Then, in the 1903 election, many women did actually vote, including my four great-grandmothers. They were permitted to enrol on the "Roll of Persons entitled to Vote under the Commonwealth Franchise Act of 1902".

Imagine how excited I was when I started looking up the 1903 electoral rolls to find out which, if any, of my great-grandmothers registered to vote for the 1903 federal election ... 

Catherine KINGSBURY, nee CARRICK (1876-1912)

First, I found my mother's mother's mother, Catherine KINGSBURY (nee CARRICK). She registered to vote at the Rozelle polling place, as part of the Dalley Division of electoral areas. She registered with her married name, Catherine KINGSBURY. She had married James Walter KINGSBURY three years earlier at St Patrick's Catholic Church at Church Hill in The Rocks, Sydney.

I found it very touching to note that she attended the same polling place at Rozelle as her mother, my great-great grandmother, Catherine CARRICK (nee HIGGINS), and three of her four siblings: Annie STAPLES (nee CARRICK), Thomas CARRICK and Patrick Joseph CARRICK. They all registered to vote at the same polling place. I couldn't find her eldest sister, Mary Ann McLISTER (nee CARRICK), but maybe she voted at another polling place. Her father, Thomas CARRICK, had died just two years earlier; otherwise, I'm sure he would have joined his daughter and wife at the polling place.

Here is a record of Catherine KINGSBURY (nee CARRICK), my great grandmother on my mother's mother's side of the family, on the Australian Electoral Roll in 1903. She is listed just above her husband, James Walter KINGSBURY.

Source: Excerpt from: NSW Electoral Roll 1903, Dalley Division, Rozelle

Catherine KINGSBURY (nee CARRICK)

Catherine voted alongside her mother, Catherine CARRICK (nee HIGGINS) and her sister, Annie (aka Hanorah) STAPLES (nee CARRICK):

Catherine CARRICK (nee HIGGINS)

Annie STAPLES (nee CARRICK)

Margaret FLEMING (1866-1939)

Secondly, I found my mother's father's mother, Margaret FLEMING on the electoral rolle who registered to vote with her original surname as she was not married in 1903 (she married John Joseph WALTERS in 1904 at St Benedict's Catholic Church at Chippendale). She registered to vote at the Phillip polling place, as part of the Western Sydney Division within NSW electoral zones.

Like Catherine CARRICK, my great-grandmother on my mother's mother's side of the family, Margaret FLEMING also went to the polling place with her mother, Ellen FLEMING (nee TORPY); they were both registered on the same page of the electoral roll.

Here is a record of Margaret FLEMING, my great grandmother on my mother's father's side of the family, on the Australian Electoral Roll in 1903. She is listed just a few rows under her mother's name, Ellen FLEMING.

Source: Excerpt from: NSW Electoral Roll 1903, West Sydney Division, Phillip

Margaret WALTERS (nee FLEMING)

Margaret KENELLEY, nee BUTLER (1853-1946)

After finding two of my four great-grandmothers on the 1903 electoral roll, as well as their mothers (my great-great grandmothers), I was very keen to keep searching for my other two great-grandmothers. Hopefully, I could find my remaining two great-grandmothers on the electoral roll.

Thirdly, I found my father's mother's mother, Margaret KENELLEY (nee BUTLER) on the 1903 electoral roll. She registered with her married name, Margaret KENELLEY. She had married William Joseph KENELLEY thirteen years earlier at St Augustine's Catholic Church in Balmain. Margaret registered to vote at the Drummoyne polling place, as part of the Parkes Division within NSW electoral zones.

Here is a record of Margaret KENELLEY (nee BUTLER), my great grandmother on my father's mother's side of the family, on the Australian Electoral Roll in 1903. For some reason, her husband does not seem to be registered on this electoral roll.

Source: Excerpt from: NSW Electoral Roll 1903, Parkes Division, Drummoyne

Margaret KENELLEY (nee BUTLER)

Margaret NORTHCOTE, nee RILEY (1843-1927)

Now, I just had one great-grandmother to find in the electoral rolls and I wasn't disappointed.

After finding three of my four great-grandmothers on the 1903 electoral roll, I was delighted to find my father's father's mother, Margaret NORTHCOTE (nee RILEY) on the 1903 electoral roll. She registered with her married name, Margaret NORTHCOTE. Margaret registered to vote at the East Orange polling place, as part of the Canobolas  Division within NSW electoral zones.

Here is a record of Margaret NORTHCOTE (nee RILEY), my great grandmother on my father's father's side of the family, on the Australian Electoral Roll in 1903. 

Source: Excerpt from: NSW Electoral Roll 1903, Canobolas Division, East Orange

Margaret NORTHCOTE (nee RILEY)

I suppose that, for the first time in the history of Australian electoral rolls, the following key was required at the bottom of each page:

So, the descendants of these four women can be pleased to know that their female ancestors didn't drag their feet when it came time to vote. No doubt, they had the members of the Womanhood Suffrage League of NSW supporting them, along with many other women and men who had campaigned before them for the right to vote.

Source: Women's Suffrage in Australia (Wikipedia)

Sadly, it would not be for many decades later that everyone of eligible age in Australia, including First Nations people, would be permitted to vote.