Louisa Lawson announced The Dawn’s feminist principles in its first issue:
“Woman is not uncompleted man, but diverse,” says Tennyson, and being diverse why should she not have her journal in which her divergent hopes, aims, and opinions may have representation.” [1]
The Dawn: A Journal for Australian Women was an early feminist journal published monthly in Sydney, Australia. First published on 15 May 1888 by Louisa Lawson using the pen name Dora Falconer, the inaugural issue set the tone for what was to follow.
The journal usually consisted of 32 pages and sold for threepence an issue. It probably had about a thousand subscribers a year, throughout Australia and New Zealand. In the 1890s, it had readers in Fiji, England, Scotland, Europe and the United States as well. The Dawn appeared every month for the next 17 years, making it the longest-running women’s paper of the period.
Louisa Lawson, mother to renowned poet Henry Lawson, left her husband Peter Larsen (anglicised to Lawson) in 1883 and relocated her family to Sydney. There she supported her children through various jobs, including working as a seamstress and running a boarding house. During this period, she was introduced to women’s suffrage.
The Dawn provided a platform for women’s voices at a time when their perspectives were often marginalized or ignored. In the first issue, Lawson declared her intention to create a space where women could express themselves freely and engage in discussions about their rights and experiences. It became the official publication of the Australian Federation of Women Voters.
The journal published articles on a wide range of topics, including suffrage, education, employment, and legal reform. It included poetry, fiction, essays, and artwork contributed by women from all walks of life, showcasing their talents and highlighting their contributions to the cultural landscape of Australia.
In addition, The Dawn was also notable for its innovative approach to publishing. Lawson employed various strategies to make the journal accessible to a wide audience, including significant advertising, offering instalment plans for subscriptions, and using the postal system to distribute copies to rural areas.
The final issue of The Dawn was published in July 1905. Believing there was no one suitable to carry on her work, Louisa Lawson “ended her paper as she started it, quite upon her own responsibility.” Her poor health, resulting from a tram accident and legal dispute regarding her mail bag fastener invention were key factors in her decision. She died in August 1920.
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