Edith Cowan: An Extraordinary Woman is a series of photographic works by Eva Fernandez recently acquired for the Rotational Collection within the Parliament House Art Collections. The artist explores the experiences of Edith Cowan who was the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament when she won the seat of West Perth in the Parliament of Western Australia in 1921.

In 2021, Fernandez undertook an artist’s residency at the Parliament House of Western Australia in collaboration with the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University. From this residency Fernandez was able to access the Parliament’s archives and understand the physical layout of the building in which Cowan worked. This informed Fernandez’s production of images that explore Edith Cowan’s journey into politics and her experiences as the first women parliamentarian.

Fernandez says of her work,

I have produced images that recreate narratives of Edith Cowan’s journey while acknowledging her bravery, intelligence, and tenacity to become the first women to enter the male dominated domain of Western Australian parliament. I pay tribute to Edith Cowan’s struggle coming from an early background of adversity to entering public life without inhibition, particularly given the attitudes and conservative mindset of the time.¹

Tough Nut to Crack 1 and 2 depict a young female figure holding a branch of eucalypt with cracked gum nuts. The cracked gum nut became a symbol for Edith Cowan, as a friend of Cowan’s had written early in the campaign that she had to be ‘a tough nut to crack’ to be successful in the West Perth electorate.² To thank her Election Committee members on their success, Cowan presented them with a small silver brooch depicting a cracked gum nut.

Engaged explores the gendered challenges Cowan then faced in the actual building itself, recognising the impact of social norms on architectural spaces. When the Parliament House of Western Australia was built there was no women’s toilet. This meant that Cowan had to walk home to use the toilet or leave her shoes in front of the men’s toilet to indicate she was in there. The shoes that the photograph depicts have many laces, as was fashionable at the time, and leaves the viewers to reflect on how long and complicated a regular activity became due to the gender dynamics of her workplace.

Child Protection explores Edith Cowan’s childhood and values. In 1868, after the death of Cowan’s mother, Cowan’s father sent her to a boarding school in Perth. In 1869 Cowan’s father was executed after being found guilty of the murder of his second wife. From these experiences, Cowan went on to advocate for women and children’s social issues and was one of the founding members of the Children’s Protection Society in 1906. Edith Cowan can be understood as both the woman and the child featured in this photograph.

This Diptych, with the structures of the staircase and colonnade, refer to the classic essay, A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf first published in 1929, with the central theme that every woman needs her own space for self-expression and creativity, something that was permitted to men without question. As women did not have the power of their male counterparts, Woolf believed women’s creativity had been systematically stifled throughout the ages.

The series concludes with Speak. This work reflects on Edith Cowan’s contribution to women’s participation in the legal professionals. In 1923, she introduced a Private Members Bill - the Women's Legal Status Bill – into the Legislative Assembly. The bill provided that: ‘A person shall not be disqualified by sex from the exercise of any public function, from holding civil or judicial office, from practising law or from entering any other profession’. In this photograph Fernandez has symbolised Cowan’s advocacy in the blown-out candle conveying the passing of time and the text of ‘The Speakers’ wig box. As the artist explains, the box is ‘partially covered by the branches of gum leaves with only the letters SPEAK visible, symbolizing Edith Cowan’s pursuit to have women’s voices heard.’

Eva Fernandez
Eva Fernandez (born 1967), is a Canadian-Australian artist known for her contemporary photography exploring the complex dynamics of colonial histories. In 1992 Fernandez completed her Bachelor of Visual Arts at the Charles Sturt University, and a Master of Creative Arts at the Edith Cowan University. Fernandez has exhibited internationally, with many of her works represented in galleries and universities across Australia. 

References
1. Eva Fenandez, Edith Cowan an Extraordinary Women, 2021, Parliament of Western Australia. Accessed online via: https://www.evafernandez.com.au/documents/2021-Edith-Cowan-An-Extraoridinary-Woman---Eva-Fernandez.pdf
2. Parliament of Western Australia, Edith Cowan Centenary: no fit place for a woman. Accessed online via: Parliament of WA Web - EDC100Election