Great Australian Speeches: Dame Enid Lyons's Maiden Speech

Dame Enid Lyons was an Australian politician, the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in federal cabinet. In 1925, she became one of the first two women to stand for the Labor Party at a Tasmanian state election. In 1943, Lyons successfully stood for the United Australia Party in Darwin. She and Dame Dorothy Tangney became the first two women elected to federal parliament. Lyons joined the new Liberal Party in 1945 and was the first woman in cabinet, serving as Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Menzies Government from 1949 to 1951 served. She retired from parliament after three terms. With Joseph Lyons, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1932 until his death in 1939, she had twelve children. Her youngest was not quite 10 when she gave her Maiden Speech as the Member for Darwin on 29 September 1943 For MTC Audio Lab's Great Australian Speeches, Dame Enid Lyons Maiden Speech is read by Marg Downey.