Individual Details
Fanny Eileen ALFORD
(28 Apr 1890 - 10 Oct 1948)
Fanny Brownbill
Member for Geelong, Victoria (1938-48)
Fanny Brownbill was born in 1890 and entered the Legislative Assembly in 1938, the second Labor woman to be elected to a State Parliament in Australia. She replaced her late husband, William Brownbill. John Cain was her campaign director.
In debate, Fanny raised many policy issues relating to the rights of women, children and family. She expressed concern about the difficulties imposed on women travelling by public transport with small children and joined women in other States in calling for changes to State transport regulations which banned, or charged a fee for, prams on public transport. She also expressed concern about inadequate staffing of schools and the very low percentage of women who were appointed as Justices of the Peace.
(Source: HERstory: Australian Labor Women in Federal, State and Territory Parliaments 1925-1994, Margaret Reynolds
http:/ /www.nwmc.org.au/history2/biogs/brownbill.htm 2/12/2002
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Year Added to the Victorian Woman's Honour Roll:2003
Category: Government Local State & Federal
Fanny Brownbill
Victoria’s first woman Labor MP
Fanny Brownbill held the Legislative Assembly seat of Geelong for 10 years from 1938 until her death in 1948. At the time, she was only the second Labor woman to be elected to a State Parliament in Australia. In Parliamentary debates, Fanny raised many issues relating to the rights of women, children and family. Her inaugural speech to Parliament on 20 July 1938 was against the ban on perambulators on suburban trains in Melbourne. Fanny was also a tireless worker for the Geelong community. Fanny was born at Modewarre near Geelong in 1890 and was educated at local state schools. Her marriage to Bill Brownbill in 1920 marked the start of her long association with the Australian Labor Party. Bill was the Member for Geelong for a total of 15 years, first from 1920 to 1932 and then from 1935 to 1938, when he died in office. Fanny decided to stand for his seat in the resultant by-election. Fanny won the seat of Geelong in 1938 by more than 2000 votes despite stiff opposition, including a call by the then Federal Treasurer, Richard Casey, that parliament was no place for a woman. She went on to hold the seat at the next four elections, sometimes unopposed - a testament to her popularity with the local electorate. As a committee member of the Old Folks Home and through her long association and work with the Geelong and District Ladies’ Benevolent Association, she gave considerable support to elderly members of the Geelong community. She worked hard to assist elderly and deserving people to obtain the old-age pension. Fanny was President of the Matthew Flinders Girls’ School Council and the Geelong and Western District Orphanage Ladies Auxiliary and a member of the Geelong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). In addition to her parliamentary duties and community work, Fanny was a Justice of the Peace. The Geelong City Council named a ward after Fanny Brownbill in commemoration of her contribution to Geelong and in honour of her achievements as a woman in Victorian Parliament. When Fanny died, she was the only female Member of Parliament in Victoria. At her funeral, thousands of people lined the streets of Geelong as a mark of respect. The Acting Leader of the Opposition at the time of Fanny’s death, Mr L W Galvin MP, said that Fanny exemplified the Christian approach to politics. “Victoria will be the poorer for her passing,” he said. “Women in particular have lost an advocate to whom they indeed owe much.”
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BROWNBILL, FANNY EILEEN (1890-1948), politician, was born on 28 April 1890 at Modewarre, Victoria, seventh child of James Alford, a native-born labourer, and his English wife Ann, née Abbot. Educated at state schools in the Moriac district, Fanny grew up in impoverished circumstances. In 1913 she became housekeeper to William Brownbill (1864-1938), a master baker and widower with four children. Born on 19 January 1864 at Newtown, Victoria, William was a Geelong city councillor in 1896-1936 (mayor, 1913-14). On 24 January 1920 at Newtown, Fanny married William with the forms of the Churches of Christ. That year he entered the Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Geelong; he held the seat until 1932 and from 1935 until his death on 29 April 1938.
At the by-election which followed William's death, Fanny was Labor's candidate. Several days before the election R. G. (Baron) Casey stated that a woman could not stand up to the 'rough and tumble of Parliamentary life' and that the subdued atmosphere of the Senate would be more suitable than the House. Fanny replied, 'I am perfectly confident that my sex can do most things just as well as men'. She defeated the United Australia Party candidate by nearly three thousand votes and was the first woman to win a parliamentary seat for her party in Victoria. Re-elected in 1940, she was unopposed in 1943 and 1945, and easily defeated her Liberal opponent in 1947.
Her remarkable electoral popularity reflected the lengths she took to meet the needs of her constituents. Mrs Brownbill was particularly concerned with child and youth welfare. School curricula also interested her and she was president (1947-48) of Matthew Flinders Girls' School. She was a dedicated member of the Geelong Ladies' Benevolent Society and in the depressed 1930s was the only female member of the public assistance committee. In 1935 she was appointed to the managing committee of Glastonbury, the Protestant orphanage at Geelong. During World War II she took a leading role in the local branches of the Australian Red Cross Society and the Australian Comforts Fund, and in 1945 helped to establish Grace McKellar House, a home for elderly people. Wherever possible, she pressed women's right to employment, and their claims to serve on juries and as justices of the peace.
Tall (5 ft 8 ins; 173 cm) and slender, Fanny was unassuming and tolerant in manner, but determined and effective. She was as much social worker as parliamentarian. Once a week she visited the poorer homes in her electorate on foot (she did not drive). On weekends she baked and delivered roast dinners for up to thirty needy people. She was an active member of the Churches of Christ. Survived by her daughter and son, Fanny died of heart disease on 10 October 1948 at Geelong and was buried in the nearby Western cemetery. Of her parliamentary career, she had said: 'I cannot claim to have had any specific bill introduced but it is not necessary to have legislation brought down to make your presence felt'.
Select Bibliography
Parliamentary Debates (Victoria), 19 Oct 1948, p 2966; Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne), 7, 14 May, 6 June 1938, 29 June 1944, 13 June 1947, 11 Oct 1948; Argus (Melbourne), 12 June 1947, 11 Oct 1948; Age (Melbourne), 11 Oct 1948; private information.
Author: Joanne W. Thomas
Print Publication Details: Joanne W. Thomas, 'Brownbill, Fanny Eileen (1890 - 1948)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, Melbourne University Press, 1993, pp 276-277.
Name on her birth certificate is Fanny Elizabeth.
Geelong Cemetery Trust record: 11035 BROWNBILL FANNY EILEEN 12 Oct 1948 Geelong Western Public Cemetery BAP*1***212D
Member for Geelong, Victoria (1938-48)
Fanny Brownbill was born in 1890 and entered the Legislative Assembly in 1938, the second Labor woman to be elected to a State Parliament in Australia. She replaced her late husband, William Brownbill. John Cain was her campaign director.
In debate, Fanny raised many policy issues relating to the rights of women, children and family. She expressed concern about the difficulties imposed on women travelling by public transport with small children and joined women in other States in calling for changes to State transport regulations which banned, or charged a fee for, prams on public transport. She also expressed concern about inadequate staffing of schools and the very low percentage of women who were appointed as Justices of the Peace.
(Source: HERstory: Australian Labor Women in Federal, State and Territory Parliaments 1925-1994, Margaret Reynolds
http:/ /www.nwmc.org.au/history2/biogs/brownbill.htm 2/12/2002
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Year Added to the Victorian Woman's Honour Roll:2003
Category: Government Local State & Federal
Fanny Brownbill
Victoria’s first woman Labor MP
Fanny Brownbill held the Legislative Assembly seat of Geelong for 10 years from 1938 until her death in 1948. At the time, she was only the second Labor woman to be elected to a State Parliament in Australia. In Parliamentary debates, Fanny raised many issues relating to the rights of women, children and family. Her inaugural speech to Parliament on 20 July 1938 was against the ban on perambulators on suburban trains in Melbourne. Fanny was also a tireless worker for the Geelong community. Fanny was born at Modewarre near Geelong in 1890 and was educated at local state schools. Her marriage to Bill Brownbill in 1920 marked the start of her long association with the Australian Labor Party. Bill was the Member for Geelong for a total of 15 years, first from 1920 to 1932 and then from 1935 to 1938, when he died in office. Fanny decided to stand for his seat in the resultant by-election. Fanny won the seat of Geelong in 1938 by more than 2000 votes despite stiff opposition, including a call by the then Federal Treasurer, Richard Casey, that parliament was no place for a woman. She went on to hold the seat at the next four elections, sometimes unopposed - a testament to her popularity with the local electorate. As a committee member of the Old Folks Home and through her long association and work with the Geelong and District Ladies’ Benevolent Association, she gave considerable support to elderly members of the Geelong community. She worked hard to assist elderly and deserving people to obtain the old-age pension. Fanny was President of the Matthew Flinders Girls’ School Council and the Geelong and Western District Orphanage Ladies Auxiliary and a member of the Geelong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). In addition to her parliamentary duties and community work, Fanny was a Justice of the Peace. The Geelong City Council named a ward after Fanny Brownbill in commemoration of her contribution to Geelong and in honour of her achievements as a woman in Victorian Parliament. When Fanny died, she was the only female Member of Parliament in Victoria. At her funeral, thousands of people lined the streets of Geelong as a mark of respect. The Acting Leader of the Opposition at the time of Fanny’s death, Mr L W Galvin MP, said that Fanny exemplified the Christian approach to politics. “Victoria will be the poorer for her passing,” he said. “Women in particular have lost an advocate to whom they indeed owe much.”
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BROWNBILL, FANNY EILEEN (1890-1948), politician, was born on 28 April 1890 at Modewarre, Victoria, seventh child of James Alford, a native-born labourer, and his English wife Ann, née Abbot. Educated at state schools in the Moriac district, Fanny grew up in impoverished circumstances. In 1913 she became housekeeper to William Brownbill (1864-1938), a master baker and widower with four children. Born on 19 January 1864 at Newtown, Victoria, William was a Geelong city councillor in 1896-1936 (mayor, 1913-14). On 24 January 1920 at Newtown, Fanny married William with the forms of the Churches of Christ. That year he entered the Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Geelong; he held the seat until 1932 and from 1935 until his death on 29 April 1938.
At the by-election which followed William's death, Fanny was Labor's candidate. Several days before the election R. G. (Baron) Casey stated that a woman could not stand up to the 'rough and tumble of Parliamentary life' and that the subdued atmosphere of the Senate would be more suitable than the House. Fanny replied, 'I am perfectly confident that my sex can do most things just as well as men'. She defeated the United Australia Party candidate by nearly three thousand votes and was the first woman to win a parliamentary seat for her party in Victoria. Re-elected in 1940, she was unopposed in 1943 and 1945, and easily defeated her Liberal opponent in 1947.
Her remarkable electoral popularity reflected the lengths she took to meet the needs of her constituents. Mrs Brownbill was particularly concerned with child and youth welfare. School curricula also interested her and she was president (1947-48) of Matthew Flinders Girls' School. She was a dedicated member of the Geelong Ladies' Benevolent Society and in the depressed 1930s was the only female member of the public assistance committee. In 1935 she was appointed to the managing committee of Glastonbury, the Protestant orphanage at Geelong. During World War II she took a leading role in the local branches of the Australian Red Cross Society and the Australian Comforts Fund, and in 1945 helped to establish Grace McKellar House, a home for elderly people. Wherever possible, she pressed women's right to employment, and their claims to serve on juries and as justices of the peace.
Tall (5 ft 8 ins; 173 cm) and slender, Fanny was unassuming and tolerant in manner, but determined and effective. She was as much social worker as parliamentarian. Once a week she visited the poorer homes in her electorate on foot (she did not drive). On weekends she baked and delivered roast dinners for up to thirty needy people. She was an active member of the Churches of Christ. Survived by her daughter and son, Fanny died of heart disease on 10 October 1948 at Geelong and was buried in the nearby Western cemetery. Of her parliamentary career, she had said: 'I cannot claim to have had any specific bill introduced but it is not necessary to have legislation brought down to make your presence felt'.
Select Bibliography
Parliamentary Debates (Victoria), 19 Oct 1948, p 2966; Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne), 7, 14 May, 6 June 1938, 29 June 1944, 13 June 1947, 11 Oct 1948; Argus (Melbourne), 12 June 1947, 11 Oct 1948; Age (Melbourne), 11 Oct 1948; private information.
Author: Joanne W. Thomas
Print Publication Details: Joanne W. Thomas, 'Brownbill, Fanny Eileen (1890 - 1948)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, Melbourne University Press
Name on her birth certificate is Fanny Elizabeth.
Geelong Cemetery Trust record: 11035 BROWNBILL FANNY EILEEN 12 Oct 1948 Geelong Western Public Cemetery BAP*1***212D
Events
| Birth | 28 Apr 1890 | Modewarre, Victoria, Australia |  | ||
| Marriage | 24 Jan 1920 | Geelong, Victoria, Australia - William Henry "Will" BROWNBILL MLA | |||
| Death | 10 Oct 1948 | Heart disease - Geelong, Victoria, Australia | |||
| Alt name | Fanny Elizabeth ALFORD | ||||
| Alt name | Fannie Elizabeth Eileen ALFORD | |
Families
| Spouse | William Henry "Will" BROWNBILL MLA (1864 - 1938) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Ronald Lansell BROWNBILL (1923 - 2009) |
| Father | James ELFORD (1851 - 1912) |
| Mother | Anne "Annie" ABBOTT (1852 - 1931) |
| Sibling | Ann Jane ALFORD (1877 - 1966) |
| Sibling | Thomas William ALFORD (1879 - 1948) |
| Sibling | Jonathan ALFORD (1879 - 1899) |
| Sibling | William Henry "Will" ALFORD (1881 - 1963) |
| Sibling | James "Jas" ALFORD (1884 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Sarah ALFORD (1885 - 1927) |
| Sibling | Margaret Hammond "Marj" ALFORD (1892 - 1958) |