A suburb in Canberra is being co-named to honour a trailblazing woman, but invitations for the launch event were sent out with a glaring omission.
Since 1972, the residential Canberra suburb of Spence has been named after William Guthrie Spence (1846-1926), who co-founded the Australian Workers' Union and was a member of the first Australian House of Representatives.
There has been a recent push to also publicly recognise Catherine Helen Spence (1825-1910), who was an author, teacher, journalist and social and political reformer.
She was the country's first female political candidate and was a prominent figure in the fight for women's suffrage.
The proposal to co-name Spence was run by the ACT Place Names Advisory Committee, which advises the government on naming suburbs and public places in the Territory.
SBS News understands it was approved in May following a period of public consultation late last year, with "overwhelming support" from the community, according to the ACT government website.
The launch event is slated to take place on 6 September.
Despite the move to recognise Spence, invitations were sent out in recent weeks with a list of only male speakers: ACT Surveyor-General Greg Ledwidge, Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman and historian David Headon. The lack of female representation on the panel has prompted a backlash.
'Certain irony' with all-male lineup
Kim Rubenstein, professor in the Faculty of Business, Government and Law at the University of Canberra has been involved in a campaign to recognise Catherine Helen Spence with a statue in Canberra.
Rubenstein said she received an invitation to attend the event from Ledwidge on 16 August.
“I wrote back that I was really delighted. And then I wrote, ‘Without being too cheeky, there is a certain irony associated with the all-male lineup of speakers. Are there any women involved with this who might also be able to speak at the event?'" she told SBS News.
SBS News is aware of at least three female professors who received the invitation featuring the all-male lineup, including Susan Magarey, professor emerita at Adelaide University, who has written a biography on Catherine Helen Spence.
Clare Wright, professor of history and public engagement at La Trobe University, also received the invite and replied saying she was unable to attend due to being based in Melbourne.
She said she also pointed out the “irony” of the all-male lineup at an event honouring a woman.
“You shake your head and think, it’s 2023. Who is making the decisions? How are they making them, and according to what policies, and what oversight?”
Rubenstein offered to “say a few words … to ensure the young girls present feel like they too can be like Catherine Helen Spence”.
She said her offer was initially accepted “subject to confirming with the Minister’s office”.
On 22 August, she received a response saying the Minister’s office “have declined the proposed amended schedule of the event”.
“Unfortunately it is still not unusual to have all-male lineups in public events,” she said. “I say unfortunately because it doesn’t need to be that way.”
Rubenstein said she would have been “absolutely delighted” if another woman was lined up to speak “to ensure that young people around, and all of us, are affirmed that it’s not only men who take on roles of public responsibility”.
“It’s particularly ironic at a function which is about commemorating a woman who was a public actor,” she said.
On Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the ACT government told SBS News it “is still in the process of finalising the details for the event co-naming Spence on 6 September, including the final list of speakers”.
SBS News subsequently asked whether details included in the invitations featuring the all-male lineup were correct and, at the time of writing, had not received a response.
On Friday morning, Rubenstein said she received an email from the committee thanking her for her earlier offer to speak, apologising for the “to and fro” and accepting it, should the offer remain. The email also confirmed a timing change for the event.
“They explained that Minister Gentleman was not able to attend any longer but that the surveyor-general was going to officiate the launch,” she said.
Rubenstein “gratefully accepted” the offer to speak, and also suggested that with the earlier timing of the event during school hours, it would be “wonderful” to have primary school children attend “to be inspired by someone like Catherine Helen Spence”.
She said while organising events can “always be a moving feast”, she is happy “they have had another look”.
“It is wonderful that Spence is being co-named, and there should be a lot more attention to all the different public places - this needs to ripple out into all aspects of public life,” Rubenstein said.
