Preceded by John Holman Religion Roman Catholic Party Australian Labor Party Succeeded by Edward Holman Name May Holman Resigned March 20, 1939 | Nationality Australian Role Politician Parents John Holman | |
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Full Name Mary Alice Holman Born 18 July 1893
Broken Hill, New South Wales ( 1893-07-18 ) Died March 20, 1939, Bunbury, Australia Spouse Joseph Gardiner (1914–1920) | ||
Resting place Karrakatta Cemetery Political party Australian Labor Party | ||
Mary Alice "May" Holman (18 July 1893 – 20 March 1939) was an Australian politician, the first woman in the Australian Labor Party, and the second woman, after Edith Cowan, to become a parliamentarian.
Holman was born in the New South Wales mining town of Broken Hill. She was the daughter of John Holman, a politician. When she was aged two, her father and mother, Katherine Mary (née Row), moved the family to Western Australia.
Holman was married in 1914 to politician Joseph Gardiner, but the marriage was unconsummated and a divorce was finalised in 1920.
On the death of her father, who had held the seat of Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since December 1923, May Holman was nominated the Labor candidate and was elected unopposed on 3 April 1925, and held it until her death on the day of her fourth re-election.
In 1930, the women's executive of her party, and the Women's Service Guilds, nominated Holman as a delegate to the League of Nations Assembly.
Holman died as a result of a car crash and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.
After Holman's death, her brother Edward Holman was elected to her old Parliamentary seat of Forrest.