Edith Dircksey (Brown) Cowan Passes Away

Today in Masonic History Edith Dircksey (Brown) Cowan passes away in 1932.

Edith Dircksey (Brown) Cowan was an Australian politician and social activist.

Cowan, born Edith Brown, was born in Glengarry Station in Western Australia on August 2nd 1861. At the age of seven her mother died in childbirth. Her father sent her to a boarding school in Perth. Shortly after his father remarried, it was an unhappy marriage and eventually her father shot and killed Cowan's step-mother. Her father was executed for the crime. She left the school in Perth and attend Canon Sweeting a school near her grandmother's home where she was staying.

In 1879, Cowan who was still Brown, married James Cowan a career public servant and the brother of the women who ran the school in Perth where Cowan had attended.

Cowan became concerned with social issues, particularly those involving women and children. In 1894 she helped found the Karrakatta Club. The group was dedicated to women's education. In 1899, the group became associated with the woman's suffrage movement.

After the turn of the century Cowan turned her attention to welfare issues. In 1909 she helped form the Woman's Service Guilds. In 1911 she was the co-founder of the Western Australia's National Council of Women serving as it's president from 1913 until 1921. From 1921 until the time of her passing she served as the Organizations vice president.

In 1916, Cowan's efforts got the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women built.

Cowan founded the Children's Protection Society. The basis of the society was Cowan did not feel children should be tried in an adult court. Her efforts led to the formation of children's courts and in 1915 she sat on the bench of the first children's court. She sat on the court for 18 years.

In 1920, Cowan became the first female justice of the peace. Also in 1920 the Australian Parliament passed a law allowing women to stand for parliament. She won a surprise victory gaining the seat for West Perth. Ironically she defeated the Attorney General who had introduced the legislation which gained women the right to stand for parliament. She lost her seat in 1924.

Cowan passed away on June 9th, 1932.

Cowan joined Le Droit Humain also known as co-masonry.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.