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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Eelemarni Close-Brown

On the map: Victoria names more new places after women than men for the first time

Clare Wright poses for a photograph
Women are represented in just one in 10 place names in Victoria and only 3% of public art. History professor Clare Wright says patriarchy is to blame. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

In 1898, Ethel Mary Vaughan Cowan became the first female doctor at Melbourne’s children’s hospital, blazing a trail for many who came after her.

In 2024, she was honoured through the naming of Cowan Lane in Carlton, a short walk from the site of the hospital. Cowan’s legacy was just one of those recognised in 31 new place names that commemorated women in Victoria last year, with 23 place names commemorating men.

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