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''Great Petition'' is a sculpture located in Burston Reserve, near the Victorian State Parliament Building, in
''Great Petition'' is a sculpture located in Burston Reserve, near the Victorian State Parliament Building, in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia. The sculpture was commissioned by the State Government of Victoria
The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive, the judicial, and th ...
and the City of Melbourne, designed by artists Susan Hewitt and Penelope Lee, and constructed by brecknock Consulting.
The sculpture refers to the "Monster Petition" calling for women to be granted the right to vote, which was signed by 30,000 Victorian women over a period of six weeks in 1891. The original petition, which consists of sheets of paper glued onto lengths of calico fabric, is 260 metres long and is held by the state's Public Record Office. The petition was tabled in Parliament in September 1891 but the ensuing Women's Franchise Bill was rejected by the Upper House. It was another 19 years before the Adult Suffrage Bill was passed by the Victorian government, however the petition is considered an important point in the state's suffrage campaign.
The sculpture is a 20-metre-long scroll which folds onto itself and appears to submerge itself underground before reappearing again on the other side of a pathway.
It was unveiled on 3 December 2008 to commemorate the centenary of women's suffrage in Victoria.
See also
*List of monuments and memorials to women's suffrage
Women's suffrage refers to the right of a woman to vote in an election. This right was often not included in the original suffrage legislation of a state or country, resulting in both men and women campaigning to introduce legislation to enable wo ...
References
External links
{{Suffrage Monuments and memorials to women's suffrage Monuments and memorials in Melbourne Sculptures in Australia 2008 sculptures History of Victoria (Australia) Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA) Tourist attractions in Melbourne East Melbourne, Victoria 2008 establishments in Australia