Australian feminist art timeline lists exhibitions, artists, artworks and milestones that have contributed to discussion and development of feminist art in Australia. The timeline focuses on the impact of feminism on Australian contemporary art. It was initiated by Daine Singer for The View From Here: 19 Perspectives on Feminism, an exhibition and publishing project held at West Space as part of the 2010 Next Wave Festival in Melbourne.
1960s
1967 Exhibition: Vivienne Binns, Watters Gallery, Sydney. The exhibition of paintings and sculptures showing symbolic representations of genitalia was considered outrageous at the time.Anne Kirker in Delia Gaze (ed) Dictionary of women artists, Volume 1 (Fitzroy Dearborn: USA, 1997), p.262
1967 Artwork: Vivienne Binns, Vag dens, synthetic polymer paint and enamel on composition board. Collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
1970s 1970 Publication: Germaine Greer publishes The Female Eunuch
1974–1977 Women's Art Movement groups founded in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide
1974 Exhibition: A Room of One's Own: Three Women Artists Ewing Gallery, University of Melbourne, co-curated by Kiffy Rubbo, Lynne Cooke and Janine Burke. Artists: Lesley Dumbrell, Julie Irving, Ann Newmarch
1974 Exhibition: Women Photographers, Pram Factory, Carlton, VIC, included work by Ponch Hawkes
1974 Exhibition: Women in the Community, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi, NSW, organised by the Sydney Women's Art Movement
1975 International Women's Year
1975 Research and Collective: Women's Art Register slide collection first established at George Paton Gallery, University of Melbourne. The founders were painters Erica McGilchrist and Lesley Dumbrell and directors of Ewing Gallery and George Paton Galleries, University of Melbourne Kiffy Rubbo and Meredith Rogers.
1975 Lecture: American feminist writer Lucy R. Lippard conducts Australian lecture tour
1975 Festival: First Festival of Women's Culture, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi, NSW
1975 Exhibition: Art and the Creative Woman, Royal South Australian Society of Arts Gallery, Adelaide, SA, organised by the Royal South Australian Society of Arts (RSASA) with entries from fellows of the society and other women artists from across Australia.
1975 Exhibition: Australian Women Artists: 1840–1940, Ewing and George Paton Gallery, University of Melbourne; Art Gallery of NSW; Newcastle Region Art Gallery; Art Gallery of South Australia, curated by Janine Burke.
1975 Exhibition: Ethnic Handicrafts Exhibition, Australia Hotel and Uniting Church, Fitzroy, VIC, organised by social workers, exhibited over 500 handicrafts by migrant women living in Australia
1975 Exhibition: Fantasy and Reality, Wentworth Building, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, organised by the Sydney Women's Art Movement, included work by Jude Adams, Jenny Barber, Frances Budden, Marie McMahon, Mandy Martin and Toni Robertson
1975 Exhibition: Five Women Artists, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Qld, exhibited work by Anne Alison-Greene, Bessie Gibson, Vida Lahey, Daphne Mayo and Margaret Olley
1975 Exhibition: It's Great to be an Australian Woman, Women's House, Brisbane, QLD, organised by the Women's Community Aid Association.
1975 Exhibition: Queensland Women Artists' Mixed Media Show, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW, exhibited sculptures, painting and prints from 36 Australian artists including Jude Adams, Jenny Barber, Frances (Budden) Phoenix, Pamela Harris, Ann Newmarch and Toni Robertson
1975 Exhibition: Six Australian Women Photographers, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney, NSW; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
1975 Exhibition: Three Women Photographers, Ewing and George Paton Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, Micky Allan, Virginia Coventry and Sue Ford
1975 Exhibition: Women in Art, Western Australian Institute of Technology, Perth, WA, organised as part of International Women's Year
1975 Artwork: Ann Newmarch Vietnam Madonna
1975 Publication: Refractory Girl: a women's studies journal published a special issue on 'women in the visual arts'
1975 Publication: Hecate: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Women's Liberation established, edited by Carole Ferrier (1975–present)
1975 Research: Women's Studies Resource Centre established, Adelaide, South Australia
1976 Collective: Women's Art Forum established in Melbourne as an offshoot of the Women's Art Register, a platform for community building and peer support through discussion evenings, artists talks and professional development sessions, to augment the Register's collection management workJuliette Peers, Josephine Fagan et al The Women's Art Register Richmond: Women's Art Register 200 p 6
1976 Publication: Launch of Melbourne-based art journal LIP A Journal of Women in the Visual Arts (1975–1983)
1976 Collective: Women's Art Movement established, Adelaide, South Australia
1976 Education: Jude Adams taught the first Australian feminist art course, 'Women and Art: The Artist as She', at the Workers Educational Association and then at Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education, Sydney, NSW
1976 Education: Ann Stephen taught 'Women and Art', at Preston Institute of Technology, Preston, VIC
1976 Collective: Dag Printing formed, screenprinting collective, Wendy Black, Angela Gee and Evelyn Vynhal
1977 Research: The Women's Art Register Extension Project (WAREP) begins work on researching of national and historical exhibitions and women artists, to add to the growing archive of contemporary artists. Funding was received from the Victorian Government's School's Board, with work carried out by Anna Sande, Bonita Ely and later Erica McGilchrist.
1977 Award: Helen Garner is awarded the National Book Council Award for her novel Monkey Grip–making her the first female author to win the award.
1977 (August) Exhibition: The Women's Show, Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide. A month-long program of events organised by Women's Art Movement, Adelaide, with exhibitions at the Experimental Art Foundation (later AEAF) on August 4–27, and the Contemporary Art Society (later CACSA). The program included a conference, and an open exhibition of over 350 works including video, photography, theatre, music, literature and film curated by the Women's Art Movement, SA, Julie Ewington and Helen James. Participating artists included Stephanie Radok, Loene Furler, Bonita Ely, Jude Adams, Margaret Dodd, Frances (Budden) Phoenix, Marie McMahon and many others.
1978 Publication and exhibition: The Women's Art Register publishes Profile of Australian Women Sculptors 1860 - 1960, researched and written by Bonita Ely and Anna Sande for the Women's Art Register Extension Project. This publication is a substantial history of Australian women artists working in sculpture across one hundred years (1860 -1960), including biographies, exhibitions, collections, artist statements, lists of works and bibliographies on 41 artists. The publication was produced in conjunction with an educational slide kit which was exhibited at the 1978 Mildura Sculpture Triennial - at the Mildura Arts Centre - and dispersed to schools and libraries across Australia. Artists: Ruth Adams, Erica Baneth, Dora Barclay, May Barrie, Margaret Baskerville, Eva Benson, Esther Belliss, Lorraine Boreham, Theresa Chauncy, Ola Cohn, Theodora Cowan, Fairlie Cunningham, Marea Gassard, Ann Dobson, May Butler George, Pam Hallandal, Margel Hinder, Margo Holden, Diana Hunt, Aina Jaugietis, Inge King, Mildred Lovett, Eileen McGrath, Nancy Lyle, Marguerite Mahood, Heather Mason, Daphne Mayo, Dora Ohlfsen, Ellen Payne, Ieva Pocius, Margaret Priest, Norma Redpath, Margaret Richardson, Kathleen Shillam, Margaret Sinclair, Wendy Solling, Eula Stagpoole, Margaret Thomas, Barbara Tribe, Tina Wentcher, Eleonore Lange.
1978 Artwork: Ann Newmarch, Women hold up half the sky!
1978–80 Performance: Lyndal Jones, The At Home Series, performances in the series held at La Mama Theatre, Melbourne, George Paton Gallery, University of Melbourne, RMIT, Melbourne, 110 Chambers Street, New York
1979 Publication: Germaine Greer publishes The Obstacle Race: The Fortunes of Women Painters and Their WorkFarrar Straus Giroux, New York, 1979
1979 Collective: Anarchist Feminist Poster Collective formed by Sally O'Wheel and Megan Schlunke, Adelaide, VIC, other contributors included Karen Elliot, Marie Morrissey, Barbary O'Brien
1979 Collective: Blatant Image formed, Sydney, NSW, photographic subgroup of the Sydney Women's Art Movement, included Sandy Edwards, Helen Grace, Victoria Middleton and Lynn Silvermann
1979 Collective: Mathilda Graphics formed, Sydney, NSW, women's creative and commercial collective offering services in photography, illustration, typesetting, etc.
1979 Collective: Women's Warehouse Screenprinting Collective formed, Sydney, NSW, contributors included Jan Fieldsend, Marla Guppy and Anne Sheridan (Beard)
1979 Research: Registry of Women Artists founded, Canberra, ACT, members included Carol Ambrus and Cathy Walters
1979 Exhibition: The D'Oyley Show, Women's Domestic Needlework Group, Watters Gallery, Sydney
1979 Research: The Women's Art Register Slide Collection moves to Richmond Library (previously known as Carringbush Library), facilitated by Bonita Ely, Anna Sande and Dianne Friend, and is merged with the Women's Art Register Extension Project (WAREP) historical archive
1979–1980 Artwork: Lyn Finch, Cherie Bradshaw and Michael Calaghan Prostitution is the rental of the body, Marriage is the sale, screenprinted poster
1980s 1980 Artwork: Davida Allen painted her sexual fantasy pictures of actor Sam Neill. While the paintings followed in the tradition of the Burt Reynolds nude centrefold in Cosmopolitan in 1972, in 1980s Australia the artist raised eyebrows for depicting a man as a sex object.
1980 Performance: Bonita Ely, Bread Line, Anzart, Christchurch, New ZealandJuliana Engberg, 'Breadline: Women and Food', ArtlinkVol19, No4, Australia.
1980 Performance: Bonita Ely, Murray River Punch, Ewing and George Paton Gallery, Melbourne University. Women at Work, a festival of women's performance art.
1980 Performance: Jill Orr, Split- Fragile Relationships, Ewing and George Paton Gallery, Melbourne University. Women at Work, a festival of women's performance art.
1980 Performance: Women at Work : a week of women's performance, June 1980. Ewing and George Paton Gallery, Melbourne University. Artists included Jill Orr and Bonita Ely.Women at Work : a week of women's performance, exhibition catalogue (George Paton Gallery: Melbourne, 1980)
1982 Appointment: Betty Churcher appointed Dean of the School of Art and Design at Melbourne's Phillip Institute of Technology, she is the first female head of an Australian tertiary institution.Betty Churcher appointed
1982 Project: Christine Westwood and Sue Hill, Women in Theatre Project – a year-long initiative at Belvoir Street Theatre to create opportunity for women directors, play writers, designers and visual artists and creatives in Australia. New plays were written and performed, the project was documented by Juno Gemes, Sandy Edwards, Maree Cunningham. Goodburra Projects was formed creating three documentaries including: Representing Aboriginal Women in Film and Theatre an interview with Justine Saunders interviewed by Juno Gemes produced by Goodburra Doco Collective.
1982 Exhibition: Rosalie Gascoigne is the first female artist to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale
1982 Festival: NSW Women and Arts Festival, October 1982, included more than 1,000 events throughout New South Wales and initiated a national research project about women in the arts. A Women's Arts Fellowship was awarded to an outstanding female artist/arts worker by the NSW Government for the next few years.