Ada Bromham
Encyclopedia
Ada Bromham was an Australian feminist and temperance activist.
Bromham was born in Gobur to blacksmith Frederick Bromham and Charlotte, née Bradford. She was educated at Yarck
before moving with her family to Western Australia
in 1893, attending school at Fremantle
before becoming a doctor's receptionist. Her mother died in 1908 and she worked at a drapery shop in Claremont
, lodging with the daughters of former Fremantle mayor and temperance campaigner Thomas Smith. By the early 1920s, with the business prospering, she began to engage in social issues, and unsuccessfully contested the 1921 state election. She was president of the West Australian Temperance Alliance and secretary of the Australian Women's Equal Citizenship Federation in 1925 before becoming secretary of the Australian Federation of Women's Societies in 1926.
In June 1926 Bromham led the Australian delegation to the International Suffrage Alliance Conference in Paris
and then represented Australia at a conference of the British Empire League
in London
on emigration. She left Perth
for Melbourne
in January 1934 and further represented her union at conventions and conferences in Stockholm
and London
. She became general secretary of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 1937 and moved to Adelaide
, contesting Unley
at the 1941 state election. She retired briefly in 1946 before returning to Melbourne in 1947 as general secretary. She retired again at the end of 1949.
Following her retirement from the temperance movement, Bromham became involved in the Chinese-Australian Friendship Society, joining a peace delegation to Peking at a time when China was highly unpopular. She continued to support the WCTU but found her Christian Socialist beliefs increasingly at odds with the union's conservative agenda, and returned to Western Australia in 1959. She also campaigned for Aboriginal rights.
Bromham died at Brentwood Hospital of bronchopneumonia
in 1965 and was cremated.
Bromham was born in Gobur to blacksmith Frederick Bromham and Charlotte, née Bradford. She was educated at Yarck
Yarck, Victoria
Yarck is a town in the upper Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Murrindindi and on the Maroondah Highway, north east of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Yarck and the surrounding area had a population of 223.Yarck Post Office opened around...
before moving with her family to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
in 1893, attending school at Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
before becoming a doctor's receptionist. Her mother died in 1908 and she worked at a drapery shop in Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
, lodging with the daughters of former Fremantle mayor and temperance campaigner Thomas Smith. By the early 1920s, with the business prospering, she began to engage in social issues, and unsuccessfully contested the 1921 state election. She was president of the West Australian Temperance Alliance and secretary of the Australian Women's Equal Citizenship Federation in 1925 before becoming secretary of the Australian Federation of Women's Societies in 1926.
In June 1926 Bromham led the Australian delegation to the International Suffrage Alliance Conference in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and then represented Australia at a conference of the British Empire League
British Empire League
The British Empire League was formed in London in 1894 in order to support the ideology of British imperialism and to promote loyalty to and the unity of the British Empire...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on emigration. She left Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
for Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in January 1934 and further represented her union at conventions and conferences in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She became general secretary of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 1937 and moved to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, contesting Unley
Electoral district of Unley
Unley is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after the suburb of the same name, it is a 12.2 km² urban electorate in Adelaide's inner southern suburbs, taking in the suburbs of Eastwood, Frewville, Fullarton, Glenunga, Highgate, Hyde...
at the 1941 state election. She retired briefly in 1946 before returning to Melbourne in 1947 as general secretary. She retired again at the end of 1949.
Following her retirement from the temperance movement, Bromham became involved in the Chinese-Australian Friendship Society, joining a peace delegation to Peking at a time when China was highly unpopular. She continued to support the WCTU but found her Christian Socialist beliefs increasingly at odds with the union's conservative agenda, and returned to Western Australia in 1959. She also campaigned for Aboriginal rights.
Bromham died at Brentwood Hospital of bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...
in 1965 and was cremated.