0 ▁Most ▁Import ant ▁People ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century , ▁states : ▁"... she ▁sh aped ▁an ▁idea ▁of ▁women ▁for ▁our ▁time ; ▁she ▁shook ▁society ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁pattern ▁from ▁which ▁there ▁could ▁be ▁no ▁going ▁back ". ▁ ▁O ce ania ▁ ▁Australia ▁ ▁The ▁female ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁B ount y ▁mut ine ers ▁who ▁lived ▁on ▁Pit ca ir n ▁Islands ▁could ▁vote ▁from ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁and ▁this ▁right ▁transferred ▁with ▁their ▁res ett lement ▁to ▁Nor folk ▁Island ▁( now ▁an ▁Australian ▁external ▁territory ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 . ▁ ▁Pro pert ied ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁col ony ▁of ▁South ▁Australia ▁were ▁granted ▁the ▁vote ▁in ▁local ▁elections ▁( but ▁not ▁parliament ary ▁elections ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁Henri etta ▁D ug dale ▁formed ▁the ▁first ▁Australian ▁women ' s ▁suff rage ▁society ▁in ▁Melbourne , ▁Victoria ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁Women ▁became ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁South ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁as ▁were ▁Ab original ▁men ▁and ▁women . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁Catherine ▁Helen ▁Sp ence ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁female ▁political ▁candidate ▁for ▁political ▁office , ▁un success fully ▁standing ▁for ▁election ▁as ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁Federal ▁Convention ▁on ▁Australian ▁Federation . ▁Western ▁Australia ▁granted ▁voting ▁rights ▁to ▁women ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁election ▁for ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁the