Agnes Goode
Encyclopedia
Agnes Knight Goode, née Fleming (31 January 1872 – 20 February 1947) was an Australian social and political activist.
Born at Strathalbyn, South Australia
, to storekeeper James Fleming and Charlotte, née Knight, she was a school-teacher before marrying sheep-farmer William Goode at Port Lincoln on 11 July 1896. The family moved to Adelaide in 1915. Agnes was founding vice-president of the Women's State Recruiting Committee during World War I
and was secretary (1916–21) and president (1921–22) of the Liberal Women's Educational Association. A justice of the peace
from 1916, her period presiding over the State Children's Court from 1919 gave her a reputation for severity; she famously made a 12-year-old boy who was convicted of stealing six bicycle chains a state ward for six years.
Goode edited the women's page of the Liberal Leader from 1918 to 1924 and supported equal guardianship for mothers, women police, women in juries, equal pay, probation and the National Council for Women. An opponent of A. A. Edwards, she unsuccessfully stood against him as a Liberal in 1924 for both the state and council elections. President of the Liberal Federation's Adelaide women's branch, she contested the mayoralty in 1935, having continued her disputes with Edwards in the intervening years. After being overlooked for the new Liberal Council in 1926 she left party politics and stood as a Non-Party Association candidate for Adelaide
, contesting it again for the Liberal Federation in 1927.
Following her husband's death from cancer
on 14 November 1929, Goode continued to be active in the community, contributing to societies for poetry, theatre, Aborigines
, housewives, unemployed women, travellers, local industries and kindergarten
s; a Stepney
pre-school named after her was opened in 1949. She died at Toorak Gardens in 1947 of coronary occlusion
and was cremated.
Born at Strathalbyn, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, to storekeeper James Fleming and Charlotte, née Knight, she was a school-teacher before marrying sheep-farmer William Goode at Port Lincoln on 11 July 1896. The family moved to Adelaide in 1915. Agnes was founding vice-president of the Women's State Recruiting Committee during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was secretary (1916–21) and president (1921–22) of the Liberal Women's Educational Association. A justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
from 1916, her period presiding over the State Children's Court from 1919 gave her a reputation for severity; she famously made a 12-year-old boy who was convicted of stealing six bicycle chains a state ward for six years.
Goode edited the women's page of the Liberal Leader from 1918 to 1924 and supported equal guardianship for mothers, women police, women in juries, equal pay, probation and the National Council for Women. An opponent of A. A. Edwards, she unsuccessfully stood against him as a Liberal in 1924 for both the state and council elections. President of the Liberal Federation's Adelaide women's branch, she contested the mayoralty in 1935, having continued her disputes with Edwards in the intervening years. After being overlooked for the new Liberal Council in 1926 she left party politics and stood as a Non-Party Association candidate for Adelaide
Electoral district of Adelaide
Adelaide is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly which includes Adelaide's central business district and suburbs in the inner north and inner north east...
, contesting it again for the Liberal Federation in 1927.
Following her husband's death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 14 November 1929, Goode continued to be active in the community, contributing to societies for poetry, theatre, Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, housewives, unemployed women, travellers, local industries and kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s; a Stepney
Stepney, South Australia
Stepney is a small triangular near-city suburb of Adelaide within the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters. Stepney contains a mix of retail, manufacturing, professional services and distribution outlets within a cosmopolitan population strongly influenced by post World War II immigration...
pre-school named after her was opened in 1949. She died at Toorak Gardens in 1947 of coronary occlusion
Coronary occlusion
A coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack.In some patients coronary occlusion causes only mild pain, tightness or vague discomfort which may be ignored: the myocardium is however damaged....
and was cremated.