WA has seen several notable firsts in terms of politics, particularly in terms of gender and Indigenous representation. Examples include Edith Cowan becoming the first Australian woman to be elected to parliament in 1921, Florence Cardell-Oliver becoming Australia’s first female cabinet minister in 1949, and Ernie Bridge becoming the first Indigenous member of the WA parliament in 1980. Notable recent milestones include Carmen Lawrence becoming the first female state premier in Australia, Carol Martin becoming the first Indigenous woman elected to any Australian parliament, and Ken Wyatt becoming the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to the House of Representatives and hold a ministerial position.
On the cultural front, WA is home to several significant firsts, such as the Perth Festival, which was the first international arts festival in Australia starting in 1953. Connections, a gay nightclub that opened in Perth in 1975 when homosexuality was still a criminal offense, is an iconic space for WA’s LGBTQIA+ community. The Anglican Church of Australia also saw a significant first in WA when Kay Goldsworthy became the first female bishop in 2008 and archbishop in 2018. These milestones reflect the state’s cultural progressiveness and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
In terms of innovation, WA has made significant contributions to health and medical research. Professor Fiona Wood played a crucial role in inventing spray-on skin to assist burns victims, while Professor Barry Marshall and Professor Robin Warren won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005 for their research on stomach ulcers, which ultimately led to a breakthrough in understanding the causes of the condition. WA is also at the forefront of space exploration, with its vast and desert landscapes providing an ideal setting for experimenting with remote-controlled and autonomous lunar vehicles, particularly in the mining industry. The state is also home to the Square Kilometre Array, one of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes, showcasing WA’s role in science and technological innovation.
Overall, WA can be seen as a frontier state at the forefront of various fields, including politics, culture, innovation, and space exploration. This demonstrates the state’s commitment to progress and advancement in areas such as gender equality, Indigenous representation, diversity, and scientific research. As WA celebrates its achievements on WA Day, it is important to recognize and appreciate the state’s contributions to these important areas and to embrace the idea that WA is truly “Where it’s At.”
