Education & Public Programs
Inquiry frameworks, visual analysis prompts, and civic study guides designed for senior secondary cohorts, tertiary research, and gallery education officers.
Module 01 · Visual Arts & Practice
Prompts for interrogating the physical surface: how texture and single-pigment chemistry replace the polished veneer of traditional political portraiture.
Look closely at the irregular ridges and valleys formed by the crinkled tissue paper foundation beneath the watercolour. How does this deliberate physical roughness challenge or alter the way we traditionally view polished, institutional political portraiture?
Each portrait is painted with only a single pigment. Observe how pigments like Jane’s Grey, Shadow Violet, or Piemontite Genuine split and pool across the surface. How does the artist use the natural chemical separation of paint to evoke the resilience required to hold space under unrelenting public scrutiny?
The women in this collection occupied opposing ideological positions, yet they are unified here by a shared institutional milestone and an unbroken colour spectrum. How does viewing them as a single collective narrative reshape your understanding of executive authority?
Module 02 · Civics & Political History
Inquiry questions examining parliamentary convention, the burden of representation, and the mechanics of political survival.
Examine the circumstances surrounding Carmen Lawrence and Julia Gillard entering executive office. In what ways do their ascents reflect the political phenomenon of the "glass cliff"—elevating women to leadership during periods of acute institutional turmoil?
Figures like Janine Haines, Natasha Stott Despoja, Pauline Hanson, and Jacqui Lambie operated outside or against the major party machines. How did these women use the Senate crossbench and balance of power to force accountability on the executive branch?
Consider Nova Peris as the first First Nations woman elected to federal parliament. What unique structural and cultural hurdles exist when Indigenous sovereignty confronts a Westminster parliament historically built upon colonial defaults?
Module 03 · Floor Activity & Self-Guided Exploration
The hanging sequence in the gallery follows pigment chemistry, not chronological time. As you navigate the room, connect each woman’s portrait and pigment with her historic institutional milestone.
Choose a trailblazer, then her milestones. Hard ticks only the woman you are matching, and clears those ticks when you choose the next name. Easy leaves every correct pair marked.
Select a trailblazer, then a milestone. Several women hold more than one.
Trailblazer
Milestone
Curriculum-Aligned Resources (Years 5–12 & Tertiary)
Three tailored, curriculum-linked educational packages with printable student floor trails, teacher answer keys, and excursion justification rationale are available for host galleries and visiting schools: