Entering too late? Women in parliamentary politics in New South Wales

Australia is regarded as perhaps the oldest continuing democracy: women have had the right both to vote and stand for the national parliament since 1902. However, women did not reach the threshold of 10 per cent of membership of lower houses of parliament until the 1990s. The gap between Australia's history as a pioneering democracy and its history of political exclusion is often remarked upon. The Australian Labor Party was established in 1891 as the political arm of the trade union movement. It was particularly successful in NSW, electing 35 members of parliament in that year and winning government in 1910. Despite setbacks caused by splits over conscription during World War 1 and over economic policy during the Depression, it became, along with the Swedish Social Democrats, the most successful social democratic party in the world. It was in government in NSW for 58 of the 70 years from 19412011.