Hobbs
The name/s on this page were taken from the 1891 Women's Suffrage Petition. We encourage you to edit this page to add information or make corrections.
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Mrs I Hobbs of Maldon
This person used this address when signing the Women's Suffrage petition in 1891. Log in to edit this section.
J Hobbs of Skene Street Geelong
This person used this address when signing the Women's Suffrage petition in 1891. Log in to edit this section.
Geelong rate entries 1890 to 1892 show two adjacent Hobbs entries in Skene St. The first is that of John HOBBS a butcher in the street from 1854 and who had been named as a butcher's boy when he emigrated on Larpent in 1849. His first wife was Mary Jane McQuilty. Their only survivng child - a son John Edward Hobbs, also a butcher, was listed as the second rates entry. John Edward's wife Margaret Euphemia [nee Smith] was also a signatory [see information in her entry] John Hobb's second wife [and the signatory for this entry] was Jane [DEAKIN] HOBBS, daughter of George Deakin and Mary Hoare born about 1837, married John Hobbs in 1859, died 1905 and is buried with John at Western Cemetery, Geelong. They had eight children born Geelong 1860 to 1873. Jane HOBBS is listed on the 1903 electoral roll. Occupation home duties. Two of her sisters were also signatories. They were Fanny [Deakin] Haines also living in Skene St in 1891 and [to be checked and confirmed]
J M Hobbs of Dunkeld
This person used this address when signing the Women's Suffrage petition in 1891. Log in to edit this section.
M E Hobbs of Skene Street Geelong
This person used this address when signing the Women's Suffrage petition in 1891. Log in to edit this section.
Educate, Agitate, Organise- Leave Nothing Undone!
These stirring words were uttered in 1907 by a 65 yr old woman who had spent the previous ten years heading up the battle to obtain full suffrage for Victorian women. The following year, one in which she moved to Moonee Ponds, she achieved the goal and along with others rejoiced in full emancipation.
Mary Eleanor Rawlinson was born in Lancaster, England in 1842 and after spending part of her childhood in South Africa came to Melbourne with her father when she was in her teens. In 1864 she married Alfred Emily Hobbs, an ironmonger. The couple had three daughters and five sons between 1865 and 1881.Although occupied with the cares of a large family Eleanor was always a faithful worker for the Methodist Church. She was also a strong supporter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Victoria [WCTU] formed in 1887 to combat the liquor trade. The WCTU also promoted a social and moral reform agenda and recognised that if this was to be achieved female suffrage was essential. In 1891 the WCTU with the assistance of the Victorian Alliance collected over 30,000 signatures on the monster petition for woman suffrage. Women from all walks of life signed the petition which was taken from door to door by dedicated groups over just a ten week period. The petition sought that ‘Women should Vote on Equal terms with Men'. It was whilst the family were living in Skene St Geelong that Eleanor signed the petition. She was one of over 1000 to do so from Geelong compared to 187 signatures from the Essendon district.
In 1892 the family moved back to Melbourne with Alfred establishing a Hardware and Twine importing agency in the city. In the family home at 14 Donald St Prahran Eleanor established a reading circle, a form of self improvement society for young adults. She also organized an up to date girls club for the district, collecting funds, organizing teachers and generally superintending the work. She was a member of the local WCTU and was reported a great supporter and attended nearly all State annual and Australasian conventions.
In 1894 the W.C.T.U. supported the founding of the Victorian Women's Franchise League as a separate organization. However it maintained an internal Department to promote the cause within the WCTU.This Department was initially titled Franchise then Legislative and Suffrage then later again Christian Citizenship and Suffrage. From 1891 to 1894 the superintendence of this area changed annually. Obviously finding this unsatisfactory the WCTU appealed to its members for an energetic woman with the cause at heart who will thoroughly organize it. In 1895 Miss Bessie Davies also of Donald St Prahran took over the role .Miss Davies was an activist in public life and lecturer on socialism, religion and suffrage. Prahran had always had a large WCTU but it was now re organised, established its own very active branch of the Women’s Franchise League and suffrage became its main Department. In 1898 Mrs Hobbs succeeded to the role both as President of the Prahran WCTU and Superintendent of the Legislative and Suffrage Department. Eleanor’s first report was that the Legislative Council had yet again rejected the Bill and that manifestos of women’s claims had been inserted in the main newspapers. In 1900 she reports on the reformation of the United Council for Women’s Suffrage and her own work including visits to twenty WCTU branches. These annual reports over this decade detail her efforts and that of many others involved in the political process .Eleanor also inserts her own feelings into these statements surely reflecting those of many women throughout the State:
Dear Sisters until about a month ago I had hoped to have such a different report to present to you...I am bitterly disappointed….[1900] We must not cease till the victory is gained. We are still waiting, surely our Legislative Council will not expose themselves to ridicule by refusing to make us citizens of our own state. [1902]. Our work is still not done [referring to the three quartets of a million women enfranchised in one day in the granting of the Federal franchise]. Our State vote is still denied, the position is an absurd one [1903]. I regret to report no progress. That the men of Victoria will permit such a stigma to rest upon us is unthinkable [1904]. We are still voteless women, this is absurd and unjust. We have municipal and national suffrage [1905]. With deep sorrow and indignation I have to report failure. We plan to oppose at the next election Members of Legislative Council repeatedly refusing our just claims [1906]. Last year we were cheerful and hopeful but another year has passed and we are no nearer the realisation of our hopes [1907.]
Eleanor does not however just continue to lament. She reports that at a meeting called in March 1907 to consider our position, thirty six delegates from about eighteen women’s organisations responded and resolved to make a special effort asking the Government to bring in a women’s suffrage bill. A new body was formed, the Woman Suffrage Declaration Committee and Eleanor Hobbs, elected as President, urged women to Educate, Agitate, Organise- Leave Nothing Undone. There were weekly meetings, earnest work, letters, petitions, interviews. A new tactic was to ask individual women to sign declarations stating that they believed women should have the vote. These were eventually to be presented to Parliament.Oldfield spells out the impressive number and range of the Committee’s work for which Vida Goldstein usually acted as public spokesperson.
At this time Eleanor and Alfred together with their two youngest sons Rupert [b1879] and Wilfred [b1881] moved to 76 Eglington St Moonee Ponds. On the Electoral rolls Alfred is reported of independent means so he may have retired. Both sons were now qualified as teachers and the move probably was to assist them by providing them with a home base in the district as Wilfred had a position at Kensington and Rupert at Sydenham. The twenty year old 5 room brick villa Poughkeepsie was on the north side just down from Laura St.This was rented as the Hobbs continued the mortgage on the Donald St house renting it out in turn.
At the time of her 1908 report Eleanor was described as beaming with the hope of a long deferred victory as the end of our long and wearing struggle is near. She had particular reason to think that Premier Bent was wavering in his adamant opposition to female suffrage. He had been an arrogant and resistant opponent, refusing to see delegations, openly hostile when approached and angrily contemptuous in his treatment of women.Mrs Hobbs reported that in August she made a lobbying visit to the Parliamentary offices with a supporter, William Edgar M.L.C, an ardent prohibitionist and Methodist layman. He suggested a visit to Bent’s office where Hobbs made a magnificent plea urging Bent to change his mind. We discussed the matter and the justice of our claims urged from every point of view. Hobbs parried all Bent’s arguments and finally Bent said he would think on it .By October Bent, after presentations by other groups including the Men’s League for Woman Suffrage, had given way. As Eleanor had announced he had directed that women’s suffrage be made a Government measure. In the lead up to the Bill going to the Upper Chamber the Declaration Committee submitted the 21,000 avowals they had gathered in the past year. On the 18 th November with ladies flocking to the galleries of the House the Bill passed. On 7 December Eleanor chaired the victory celebration, a Commemoration Conversazione at the Masonic Hall attended by a large and enthusiastic audience. Eleanor also wrote:
My Dear Sisters, the last battle is fought and the victory won. The vote for which we have so long worked and prayed is ours. Let us use it for the good of this dear land of ours. Thank you all for the help and sympathy you have given me during the eleven years in which we have worked together. Yours joyfully .
In Jan 1909 Eleanor reported to the WCTU Executive that the Bill had passed into law. The Executive then rose and sang the Doxology.
Eglington St was Eleanor’s last independent household. By March 1909 she was reported to be very unwell and ordered by her medical advisers to take a long rest to prevent a serious breakdown in her health. Her friends arranged for her to take a trip to New Zealand where she had a married daughter. Expecting to be away for a year she was back at the Dec 09 convention addressing us for the first time as politically equal to men She implored women to use their power rightly. She resigned her position as State Superintendent in Dec 1910 because of failing health and a move to the country. Alfred and Eleanor made their home with their married children in turn at Camberwell, Mitcham and Franklinford. At this last named, Wilfred’s home, Alfred died in 1913 leaving his estate of ?7 to my dear wife. Connections with the Essendon district were however maintained as between 1912 and 1917 Wilfred and Hilda had three children born in Essendon. Eleanor lived on to see her sons John and Rupert serve overseas with the AIF .They returned ,though her eldest grandson, Eric Melville Peart, was to die in France in 1916. Her devotion to and interest in the work of educating women to use their vote wisely continued.
Eleanor was described in her WCTU obituary as having a refined nature, a charming personality, with a clear brain and keen, alert mind. She died in 1920 at her daughter’s home leaving no personal estate of any kind; no cash or jewellery. In 1899 she had however anticipated her own legacy, urging the campaign forward saying "Our children will reap the benefit of our fight".
Marilyn Kenny
Essendon Historical Society
768 Mt Alexander Rd Moonee Ponds 3039
Documentation re: Mrs Hobbs' signature can be provided to anyone interested. Marilyn Kenny can be contacted through the Essendon Historical Society.
Acknowledgements Many thanks to Eleanor Hobbs’ great grandchildren, Dr Robert Hobbs, Kay Campell [nee Hobbs] and Richard Hobbs for family history and the In Memoriam notice. Thanks also to the staff of the Archives University of Melbourne for access to the WCTU material
Main References
Bomford J That dangerous and persuasive woman 1993
Electoral Rolls, Directories, Age newspaper
Melbourne University They are but Women: The Road to Female Suffrage in Victoria 2007)
Government of Victoria 1891 Women’s Suffrage Petition on line
NAA Series B2455
Oldfield A. Woman Suffrage in Australia 1992
PROV VPRS 13719 Teachers Record Books .Series 28 Wills &Probate files
WCTU Annual Reports, White Ribbon Signal magazine
See the Editing Women's Petition information page for help on updating information and correcting transcription errors.
See the List of 1891 Women's Suffrage petition signatories for some other stories of these women.
This page was automatically generated by the PROV Wiki Tool.
Geelong rate records from 1890 to 1892 record two adjacent Hobbs entries in Skene St. There are no other entries.
1. John Hobbs a butcher in the street from 1854 and named as a butcher's boy when he emigrated on Larpent in 1849. His second wife Jane [Deakin] Hobbs was a signatory [see information on her entry].
2. John Edward Hobbs, also a butcher, son of John and his first wife Mary Jane McQuilty. John's wife and the signatory above was Margaret Euphemia SMITH daughter of James SMITH and Ann THOMSON born 1854, married John Edward HOBBS 1897, died 1925 and is buried with John at Western Cemetery, Geelong. Margaret's parents had married in Geelong 1853 and she was their eldest child. Margaret and John had six children all born Geelong between 1878 and 1887.
The 1903 electoral roll names Margaret Hobbs, home duties and John Edward Hobbs butcher both of Skene St, Geelong.
No documentation has been found to indicate that this signature is that of Mary Eleanor Hobbs.
