Vida Goldstein was the first woman to campaign for elected office for a national parliament in the English speaking world. It was the election of 1903, Ms Goldstein ran for the Senate in the Australian parliament, and she lost! Her launch speech was at Portland in Victoria and podcast guest Prof Clare Wright read it aloud for the Sydney Writers Festival's 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' event in 2022. 

In this episode, Clare talks about Vida Goldstein's speech, but also her place in the women's suffrage struggle of the 1880s and 90s. She explains quite brilliantly how that period of women's history unfolded, and how Australian women became leaders on the world stage helping other white women win their struggles in the UK and the USA. Vida was an invitee to the Roosevelt White House, and helped and inspired Emmeline Pankhurst. Clare also explains that the early suffragists did not help indigenous women win or in the case of South Australia, retain the vote. They were products of the White Australia' era they inhabited. 

The audio of the speech as read by Clare Wright is courtesy of the Sydney Writers Festival. You can purchase tickets to the 2023 festival here. 

Clare's books include the Stella Award winning The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka and You Daughters of Freedom. 

Join Speakola newsletter here. For IWD, I released Part 1 and Part 2, Great speeches by women, decade by decade, 1910-2023.

It's just $5 a month to be a paid subscriber. 

Thanks also to those who are donors or Patreons. 

This episode is sponsored by DocPlay. Sign up here for 45 days free on the world's best documentary streaming site, then if you choose to continue, $7.99/m. Clare's narrates the film, Utopia Girls , which you can stream at Docplay. 

Tony's personal writing blog is Good one, Wilson!

Vida Goldstein was the first woman to campaign for elected office for a national parliament in the English speaking world. It was the election of 1903, Ms Goldstein ran for the Senate in the Australian parliament, and she lost! Her launch speech was at Portland in Victoria and podcast guest Prof Clare Wright read it aloud for the Sydney Writers Festival's 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' event in 2022. 
In this episode, Clare talks about Vida Goldstein's speech, but also her place in the women's suffrage struggle of the 1880s and 90s. She explains quite brilliantly how that period of women's history unfolded, and how Australian women became leaders on the world stage helping other white women win their struggles in the UK and the USA. Vida was an invitee to the Roosevelt White House, and helped and inspired Emmeline Pankhurst. Clare also explains that the early suffragists did not help indigenous women win or in the case of South Australia, retain the vote. They were products of the White Australia' era they inhabited. 
The audio of the speech as read by Clare Wright is courtesy of the Sydney Writers Festival. You can purchase tickets to the 2023 festival <a href="https://www.swf.org.au/">here</a>. 
Clare's books include the Stella Award winning <a href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/the-forgotten-rebels-of-eureka">The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka</a> and <a href="https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/you-daughters-of-freedom-the-australians-who-won-the-vote-and-inspired-the-world">You Daughters of Freedom</a>. 
Join Speakola newsletter <a href="https://news.speakola.com/">here</a>. For IWD, I released <a href="https://news.speakola.com/p/great-speeches-by-women-decade-by">Part 1 </a>and <a href="https://news.speakola.com/p/great-speeches-by-women-decade-by-2ad">Part 2</a>, Great speeches by women, decade by decade, 1910-2023.
It's just $5 a month to be a <a href="https://news.speakola.com/">paid subscriber</a>. 
Thanks also to those who are <a href="https://speakola.com/donate">donors </a>or <a href="https://www.patreon.com/speakola">Patreons</a>. 
This episode is sponsored by <a href="https://www.docplay.com/">DocPlay</a>. <a href="https://www.docplay.com/racks/speakola">Sign up here</a> for 45 days free on the world's best documentary streaming site, then if you choose to continue, $7.99/m. Clare's narrates the film,<a href="https://www.docplay.com/shows/utopia-girls"> Utopia Girls</a> , which you can stream at Docplay. 
Tony's personal writing blog is <a href="https://goodonewilson.substack.com/">Good one, Wilson!</a>

Speakola is the home for great speeches on the web. 

Tony Wilson is the founder and curator of Speakola, which now hosts more than 2000 speeches, some famous – think Churchill, Obama, Gandhi - some not so well known. 

In each episode, Tony interviews someone who has written, delivered or studied a great speech to reveal the stories behind the scenes, to provide context to the historical moment, or in the case of eulogies, birthdays and other common events, to inspire people to hit new creative highs.

Tony will also play a ‘speech of the week’ to honour great words by great orators. Released fortnightly.

Speakola, for all speeches great and small.

Speakola is the home for great speeches on the web. 
Tony Wilson is the founder and curator of Speakola, which now hosts more than 2000 speeches, some famous &ndash; think Churchill, Obama, Gandhi - some not so well known.&nbsp;
In each episode, Tony interviews someone who has written, delivered or studied a great speech to reveal the stories behind the scenes, to provide context to the historical moment, or in the case of eulogies, birthdays and other common events, to inspire people to hit new creative highs.
Tony will also play a &lsquo;speech of the week&rsquo; to honour great words by great orators. Released fortnightly.
<a href="http://www.speakola.com">Speakola</a>, for all speeches great and small.

Speakola, for all speeches great and small.

Speakola

<a href="http://www.speakola.com">Speakola</a> is the home for great speeches on the web. 
Tony Wilson is the founder and curator of Speakola, which now hosts more than 2000 speeches, some famous &ndash; think Churchill, Obama, Gandhi - some not so well known.&nbsp;
In each episode, Tony interviews someone who has written, delivered or studied a great speech to reveal the stories behind the scenes, to provide context to the historical moment, or in the case of eulogies, birthdays and other common events, to inspire people to hit new creative highs.
Tony will also play a &lsquo;speech of the week&rsquo; to honour great words by great orators. Released fortnightly.
<a href="http://www.speakola.com">Speakola</a>, for all speeches great and small.

Professor Clare Wright reads and discusses Vida Goldstein historic campaign launch speech from 1903, which launched the first ever campaign for elected national office by a woman.

You daughters of freedom — Prof. Clare Wright on Vida Goldstein's campaign launch speech as first English speaking woman to stand for national office, Portland, 1903

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