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Many men shared the view that politics was a male preserve.

  ``... having more than they can do well in all that appropriately belongs to them, to add the civil and political duties of men, would be unjust and oppressive."

"If we gave women the vote, the result would be that women would give more attention to politics and political questions, and less attention to their social duties and the comforts of their homes."

"...the best women do not vote and the worst of the women do. If you give woman franchise, St George's Terrace will not vote and Murray Street will." Frederick Illingworth, Member of the Legislative Assembly, 1896. ``There is not a newspaper on the goldfields which is not in favour of women being given a vote... I have used the argument many times that the women do not want the vote, and in fact I do not think that the women, as a body, in the colony have ever expressed themselves very definitely on the point, but I am certain that if a poll were taken of the electors of Western Australia tomorrow, a majority would be in favour of the extensions of the franchise." Sir John Forrest, 1899. Frederick Illingworth ``If you bring into your home the debate, the contest, the phases of thought and feeling which political questions necessarily awaken, you bring into it influences which are absolutely destructive of the very first principles of a peaceful home..."

Western Australian women won the right to vote in 1899,  third only to New Zealand and South Australia and in time to participate in the referendum on the proposed Federal Commonwealth of Australia the following year.  It was another twenty one years before they could stand as candidates. Western Mail, 25 August 1899 There was some argument that Forrest's reversal on women's suffrage was due to his desire to balance the goldfields expected pro-Federation vote, given that there were not many women on the goldfields.

Committee of the Karrakatta Club for Women, circa 1900 Lady Margaret Forrest was a member of this  exclusive club, some members of which were active in the fight for women's franchise.  This photograph was taken a year after women had won the right to vote.