One-Woman-One-Vote: Annie Lane, 'Lucinda Sharpe' and the Female Franchise in Late Nineteenth Century Queensland

This paper offers a critical assessment of Annie Lane's contribution to the debate on the female franchise in colonial Queensland, and to the enfranchisement of women who joined the NACSA. This assessment is based on a close reading of the 'Lucinda Sharpe' columns, in the context of the social changes which occurred during this period, and in the light of the literature on the suffragists of the late-nineteenth century. From July 1885, 'Lucinda Sharpe' featured weekly in The Queensland Figaro and The Boomerang. When Billy and Annie moved to The Worker at the beginning of 1890, 'Lucinda' (and the paper itself) appeared monthly for the first year, then either weekly or fortnightly until the Lanes left Brisbane in July 1892. The regularity and longevity of these columns provide us with significant insights into the development of Annie's views on a range of issues, including the rights of women to the vote in colonial elections.