What significant achievement was made in 1902 regarding women's suffrage in Australia?

• A. The 1910 referendum granted voting rights
• B. Australia became one of the first countries to grant full suffrage to women
• C. Women gained the right to stand for parliament
• D. The right to own property was granted

Answer: (B)

The event in focus is when Australia first extended significant voting rights to women at the federal level. In 1902, the Commonwealth Franchise Act was passed, allowing women to vote in federal elections and to stand for the Commonwealth Parliament. This made Australia one of the early nations to grant women such political rights at a national level. It’s important to note, though, that Indigenous Australians were largely excluded from this voting rights at the time, so it wasn’t universal suffrage for everyone living in Australia. The 1910 referendum relates to later developments, and owning property as a right happened long before this act. The key point here is that 1902 marked a major early step for women’s political participation at the national level.