What were some key goals of the first wave of feminism in Australia?

• A. Suffrage, property rights, and greater access to education and employment
• B. Labour union leadership
• C. Greater taxes for women
• D. Access to conscription

Answer: (A)

The main aim of the first wave of feminism in Australia was to secure basic legal and social rights for women, especially the vote, control over property, and better access to education and paid work. Women campaigned to be able to vote in elections, and to have legal recognition of their property separate from their husbands, transforming how women could own assets and manage finances. At the same time, opening doors to education and employment broadened opportunities for women, helping them gain financial independence and participate more fully in public life. These goals shaped the movement’s priorities and defined early feminist activism in Australia. The other options don’t reflect these foundational aims—from labour leadership, to higher taxes for women, to conscription access—which were not the central targets of the first wave.