Special Sub-Topic: Australian Firsts Click Here To Play: Australian Firsts

This lady was the first Indigenous woman to be elected to a State or Federal Parliament anywhere in Australia. What was her name?

Carol Martin. Carol Martin was elected as member for the seat of Kimberley in Western Australia in 2000. Carol is a qualified Social Worker. Clare Martin was the Chief Minister in the Nothern Territory until 2007, and Dame Enid Lyons was one of the first women elected to Federal Parliament. Edith Cowan was the first woman elected to the West Australian Parliament.

Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls was the first Indigenous person to be appointed Governor of an Australian state.

t. Sir Douglas Nicholls was born on December 9, 1906 on a mission in NSW. He was an outstanding sportsman, competing in football, boxing and athletics, and became the pastor of the first Aboriginal Church of Christ in Australia. In 1972 he became the first Aboriginal person to be knighted and he and his wife Gladys travelled to London to receive that honour. In 1976, he was appointed as the 28th Governor of South Australia.

Who was the first woman to be elected to a parliament in Australia (State or Federal)?

Edith Cowan. Edith Cowan was elected to the WA Parliament in 1921 and served until 1924. She is recognised by having an electorate and a university named for her. Carmen Lawrence was the first woman to be elected as state premier. Joan Kirner was the first female Premier of Victoria.

Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia after Federation in 1901?

Sir Edmund Barton. Edmund Barton became the first Prime Minister in 1901, and was Prime Minister for two and a half years. He was followed by Alfred Deakin.

What was special about the first Australian cricket team to tour England in 1868?

They were Indigenous.. The 13 Indigenous players who made the first cricket tour of England were all from Victoria, and played 47 two day games in a six month tour.

This man was the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service, or RFDS for short, was the world's first flying medical service. Who was he?

Reverend John Flynn. John Flynn was a travelling preacher, and saw the loneliness and helplessness of those living in remote areas when someone became ill or injured. He set up a network of bush hospitals and later, planes equipped with medical equipment and pedal radios. The RFDS has saved thousands of lives throughout the Australian outback.

In 1930, the first Australian born Governor General was appointed. What was his name?

Sir Isaac Isaacs. Sir Isaac Isaacs was born in 1855, the son of a Polish immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1854. He was first a pupil teacher, then later studied law, became a lawyer and was elected to the Victorian parliament in 1892. In 1906, he was elected as a member of the High Court of Australia, and became Governor General of Australia in 1930. He died at the age of 92, in 1948.

Who was Australia's first Indigenous surgeon?

Dr Kelvin Kong. Dr Kong is an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon in Sydney. His mother was one of Australia's first Indigenous Registered Nurses. In 2006, he became the first Indigenous surgeon in Australia.

The first known Indigenous player of Australian Rules football at the highest level (Australian Football League or AFL) was Fitzroy's Joe Johnson.

t. Joe played 55 games for Fitzroy in 1904 - 1905. Since then, there have been numerous outstanding Indigenous footballers, including Graham (Polly) Farmer, Michael Long, Gavin Wanganeen, Nicky Winmar and Jeffrey Farmer to name but a few.

This lady was the first Indigenous female teacher in Queensland, and was later appointed as the first Indigenous magistrate in Australia. What is her name?

Pat O'Shane. Pat attended Queensland University to study to become a teacher, and later Sydney University to study law. Lowitja O'Donoghue is an Indigenous nurse, activist and holder of numerous awards. Shirley Smith, known to most as "Mum Shirl", fostered over 60 children, worked tirelessly for the betterment of Aboriginal people in Sydney and elsewhere, and died in 1998 at the age of 73. Sue Gordon is a Magistrate in the Children's Court of Western Australia. The recommendations made from an inquiry she headed are featured in The Gordon Inquiry, and many of these recommendations formed the basis of last year's government interventions in the Northern Territory.