13 Facts About Rose Scott

Rose Scott was an Australian women's rights activist who advocated for women's suffrage and universal suffrage in New South Wales at the turn-of-the twentieth century.

Rose Scott founded the Women's Political Education League in 1902 which campaigned successfully to raise the age of consent to sixteen.

Rose Scott's cousins were the naturalists Harriet Morgan and Helena Scott.

From an early age, Rose Scott was influenced by injustices she perceived towards women in history and literature such as Joan of Arc and Katherina Minola in The Taming of the Shrew.

Rose Scott was utilitarian in outlook, a free trader, pacifistically inclined and strongly in favour of women's rights.

In 1882, Rose Scott began to hold a weekly salon in her Sydney home.

Rose Scott's mother died in 1896, and she was left with a home and sufficient income for her needs.

Rose Scott founded and became the first President of the Women's Political Education League in 1902, a position she held until 1910.

The League established branches throughout the state and consistently campaigned for the issue closest to Rose Scott's heart: raising the age of consent from 14 to 16, achieved in 1910 with the Crimes Act.

Rose Scott was president of the Sydney Branch of the London Peace Society from its foundation in 1907 to 1916, when she stepped down, succeeded by William Cooper.

Rose Scott was, for many years, international secretary of the National Council of Women in New South Wales.

Rose Scott traced the apparent inclination of public opinion to Federation to 'the freedom of the Australian people' having been 'too easily gained, and therefore too lightly prized'.

Rose Scott died from cancer on 20 April 1925 at her home, Lynton, in Jersey Road, Woollahra.