THE WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 3

THE WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA.

'■ LADY DUDLEY'S VIEW. is - 'It - was -a stirring speech -. thafc ; Lady. Dud- - |ey recently; delivered to the :womon : of Aus-. • through the' medium:of' a meoting.bf Wales ;Natiphal''Council'";of [ ■ Women, .arid': every. word of it -sti'ikos ' one :as ; beirig-sincere!/said. ' ' ' • -.• .''These/Austrdliaii. Councils seem,, to -mej"' said- Lady.; Dudley,. ''like,"the distant out- !' posts,,of ..that considerable, army of:- workers" ) who aro tho.ljead and front of so much sotsa] . a . n d moral progress and itform at the other i side of the world.- :"' V. v: : '- i-'i "I have heard moro than one warm tribute ; -Paid to.important' work accomplished by the;different -,but ! l have as yet'had : opportunities of..observing'it for.: myself' ' "-although I hope to find many in .the near I It/ takek : m6re . than ,eight h-months; i -to-fflake ,oneself acquainted,with'"tho inner; , life of a -new,-country.-. All that I shall per- ■ nut myself to say, is, how strong, how.-.■ forcibleis thoiimpression tipon mo of the greatness, of-.the. opportunities-which lie ready -to .the - hand -.of. the women''of Australia.' i"Here you have a young country in all the .strength aiid pride of its youth, -and'recog- , nising iW-respoifsibihtieS aiid eager to fulfil ■thom. lou havo social conditions, unhampored to a .great extent by..tbo. evils..of'overcivilisation. . -And though -iii-ievery age . the . influonco of woman ■ has been great— 'as in havo'set the socialstandards :of;.their ; vtmi'o..'and generation.—in no',.'case"of-; ; .'- ahcieht-. civilisation; .can. : tho.. inspiration .oftho.woman, bo as potent or shincas clear as in the . early days, of the history of a ; y, oun & . nation, whose ' impulses - are towards the, light,, and- whose desire, is to bo for ever,--free from the stains which .disfigure ;tho ,darker, pages ,of the- history, of older . centuries..; Perhaps it, may > be" fanciful, but ; ; s jnce ; I hav<B -been.'in Australia]! have, thought that, though the heart of her is controlled by her sons,-and her very heart-beats seem liko their-footsteps -inarching'towards-accom- ■ plisHment and progress, yet the soul of her •—the spiritual part; which is ' '.to-tbe her'-' ultimate; inspiration," lies i. -witii. the. : women, of this country. - and - will be 'given to. her by them. So that I feci thatthe work rof, these Australian councils is deeply important, and:l welcome this oppor■.tunityr6f:;assuringyou';.of;my.'desiro:.t6' serve', .and-further/their interests as-far. as possible 'while I .am-horo." ■ •- >. - 1 .'