Throughout the 1930s May Holman was a household name and aninspiration to the women of her generation. She made history in 1925when, at age thirty-one, she became Australia's first female Laborparliamentarian, holding the seat of Forrest until her untimely death onthe eve of the 1939 elections.A woman who fought tirelessly for the rights of those in her electorate, heraccidental death received national coverage with thousands of WesternAustralian mourners lining the streets to pay tribute.May Holman charted new territory for women, but the barriers sheencountered and her methods of overcoming them still resonate today.