Dorothy Edwards (mayor)

Dorothy Edna Annie Edwards

Edwards was born on 20 June 1907.[1] She grew up in Deloraine, Tasmania, where her father was the town clerk.^[2] She attended Deloraine Primary School and Launceston High School.^[3] She went on to study at the University of Tasmania and the London School of Economics, where she graduated Master of Arts.^[4]

Edwards worked as a schoolteacher, teaching Latin and literature. Due to a marriage bar she was forced to resign from the education department in 1933.^[4] She taught at Launceston High School and Hobart High School.^[3]

Municipal politics

Edwards was a leader of the campaign to allow women to stand for election to the Launceston City Council, a right which was not granted until 1945 by an act of state parliament. In 1949, she became the first women to stand for election to the council.^[5] She was elected with the second-highest number of votes, behind only the incumbent mayor Denham Henty,^[6] becoming Tasmania's first female alderman.^[2] She became chairman of the council's finance committee,^[7] and in 1954 she became the first woman to preside over a council meeting.^[8] She served as an alderman for 15 years in total.^[2]

In 1955, Edwards was elected as the first female mayor of an Australian city.^[4] She held office for two terms from December 1955 to December 1957. Her achievements in office included "the building of the City Baths at Windmill Hill, flood prevention measures and the opening of a by-products plant for the Killafaddy Abattoirs".^[4]

Other activities

Edwards helped revive the National Council of Women of Launceston, serving as secretary (1947–1956) and president (1958–1960). She was subsequently elected as the first Tasmanian president of the

Edwards had two sons with her husband Rex Edwards, whom she married in 1933.[3] She died on 9 March 2006 at the age of 98.^[1]

Edwards was appointed