A bright and colourful look at twelve incredible Australian women who helped shape our country, from politics and the arts to Indigenous culture, science and more.

Meet twelve amazing Australian women who have changed the world, in small ways and large.

Some of them are world famous, like Annette Kellerman and Nellie Melba.

Some of them are famous in Australia, like Mary Reibey and Edith Cowan.

All of them deserve to be famous and admired.

These women are the warriors who paved the way for the artists, business owners, scientists, singers, politicians, actors, sports champions, adventurers, activists and innovators of Australia today.

The featured women are:
Mary Reibey, convict and businesswoman
Tarenore, Indigenous resistance fighter
Mary Lee, suffragist
Nellie Melba, opera singer
Edith Cowan, politician
Tilly Aston, teacher, writer and disability activist
Rose Quong, actress, lecturer and writer
Elizabeth Kenny, nurse and medical innovator
Annette Kellerman, swimmer and movie star
Lores Bonney, aviation pioneer
Emily Kame Kngwarreye, artist
Ruby Payne-Scott, scientist

About the Author

Pamela Freeman is an award-winning author for adults and children. She has a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney. Her historical novel The Black Dresswon the NSW Premier’s History Prize in 2006 and her non-fiction book Desert Lake: The Story of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, illustrated by Liz Anelli, was shortlisted for the 2017 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature, and was a Notable Book in two categories in the 2017 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Awards. Pamela lives in Sydney with her husband and their son, and teaches at the Australian Writers’ Centre.

About the Illustrator

Sophie Beer is an award-winning illustrator living in Brisbane. Sophie adores creating bright, fun designs with generous helpings of narrative and is particularly interested in children’s illustration. Revelling in colour, shape and texture, she lives by one simple rule: art should never be boring. Sophie was the winner of the 2016 SCBWI Penguin/Random House Portfolio award.