Miss Muriel Matters: The Australian Actress Who Became One of London's Most Famous Suffragists

by Robert Wainwright

The Australian actress who became one of London's most famous suffragists.

Discover the most inspiring woman you've never heard of ...

In 1909, a young Australian actress made headlines around the world when she took to the sky over London in an airship emblazoned with the slogan 'Votes for Women' and dropped leaflets over the city. Muriel Matters was dubbed 'that daring Australian girl', and the American media declared it to be the world's first aerial protest.

Just months earlier, Muriel had become the first woman to make a speech in the British House of Commons, after chaining herself to a brass grille to protest against the segregation of women in the Parliament. She went on to become one of the most famous suffragists of her day, her skill as an orator drawing crowds in their thousands.

So why is the remarkable Muriel Matters a relative unknown in both Britain and her home country? In Miss Muriel Matters, bestselling writer Robert Wainwright discovers an extraordinary woman full of intelligence, passion and bravery who fought for women's rights in a world far from equal.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short version is that Muriel Matters was an Australian actress and acclaimed elocutionist who went to Britain and ended up participating in the suffrage movement in the early 1900s, and went on to work with underprivileged children, among other things. She was also one of the first women in a flying machine, and was - as far as we can tell - the first person to engage in aerial leafletting: she tossed Votes for Women pamphlets over the side of the airship basket. She was amazing and this biography captures her wonderfully. 

The longer version... is basically going on about some of the other, remarkable parts of Matters' life. Like chaining herself to the Grille, part of the screen that stopped MPs from seeing the women who were in the tiny little room where they could watch parliament. Or the things that she endured while on her endless speaking tours, such as constant heckling and having eggs - and other things - thrown at her. The stays in prison. And her magnificent speeches about suffrage - which was not an end in itself, for Matters, but merely the beginning of women coming to full participation in social life and the fabulous consequences that would have for society. At the moment, it's all too tragic to read some of Matters' hopes and dreams for how women would be able to participate once they had the vote. Because yes, there were some positive changes made in SA, for example, once women were voting, around labour laws and the like. But we still see the ways in which women are hampered from full participation and the consequences of women's voices not being taken seriously.

Wainwright, who also wrote Sheila, has done a remarkable amount of research here. Matters has never had a biography written before - and I've read quite a few books about English women's fight for suffrage and she has never featured significantly in any of them. Matters died a widow, and with no children, and most of her family gone and overseas, so most of her own papers have been lost. So there's a huge amount of reconstruction from newspapers, from early accounts of the suffrage movement, and other such sources to find out what can be found out. There are gaps, of course - in particular around Matters' personal relationships - and Wainwright offers speculation but is clear that that's what it is.

As to her politics and passions, those seem quite clear from her speeches and from where she devoted her energies. After becoming disillusioned with parts of the suffrage movement, Matters works with striking workers and then eventually becomes one of the first Montessori-trained teachers in Britain, working with children in slum areas. Knowledge of her later life is sketchy because she disappears from public view, which is such a shame because surely this woman didn't sit at home fuming, after her actions earlier on? It makes me want to encourage everyone to print their emails and keep them in secure vaults so that historians can find them later.

This is an engaging, thoughtful, and generally lovely look at a fascinating and important woman who was part of a historical struggle that most people know far too little about. 

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muriel Matters was an Australian elocutionist who came to England to perform on the stage and found herself tangled up in the women's suffrage movement. A little dry at times, this was still an interesting biography of an intriguing woman.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating & compelling biography. A little slow to warm-up, but well-worth persisting. Highly recommend.

[Lisa]

I borrowed this book because I read an enthusiastic review at the Newtown Review of Books*
but it didn't quite hit the mark for me and I'm returning it to the library after reading up to p115.
I think that part of the reason was because I had already read Clare Wrights You Daughters of Freedom: The Australians Who Won the Vote and Inspired the World and I already knew a fair bit about Muriel Matters and her work in supporting the suffragettes in the UK. Readers who don't know her story will probably enjoy it much more than I did.

I haven't rated the book because I don't rate books I haven't finished.

*https://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/r...

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging long (over 10 hours) and detailed audiobook of Miss Muriel Matters life. She was a renounced witty orator of the time and sections of her speeches are entertaining to listen to. It was a good detailed reminder of what the suffragists went through in order to get the vote.

[Penne Moschetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found her story very interesting and thought provoking. It makes you reflect how much society has changed in 100 years and how there is still so much agitation for continued social change.

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of historical research has clearly gone into piecing together Miss matters life, but I was sometimes uncertain about the tone of the biography. Every chapter seemed to excitedly start with a new character, which by the end was exhausting. The overwhelming embellishment of how brilliant her life was was wearing. Her life sounded bloody hard and maybe those challenges could have been acknowledged a bit more, and some historical context about other women's roles at the time could have helped paint a broader picture of this?or outlined how she lived a bit better or how did she finance her existence?

[Diane Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved meeting Muriel. What a woman! Great insights into the Women's movement in UK. I learnt the difference between a 'suffragette' and a 'suffragist'. I learnt about the strength of women around the world. Great book to pass on to your daughters.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Wainwright takes long forgotten Australians and writes biographies that are intriguing, fascinating and extremely readable. His research into Muriel Matters, an Australian actress who became a leading suffragette in London in the early 1900s, is outstanding. In 'Miss Muriel Matters' he places her in the context of the times, and we read of her many exploits in London as she tries to convince Parliament that they should give women the vote as they had done in South Australia since 1896. There's lots of descriptions of the lengths the women go to, their gaoling, and the angry, often hysterical opposition from men. Wainwright takes us on Muriel's journey and a happy ending when she marries and becomes an expert in early childhood education. The reader is left with as full a picture as is possible of this remarkable woman.

[Jean Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have given this book five stars because it tells the story of a remarkable woman who to me was a complete unknown. Muriel was an extraordinary performer who grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. She went on to be a major part of the Suffragist movement in England where she wanted British women to have the vote like they had in New Zealand and South Australia. Her exploits included chaining herself to a brass grille in the British House of Commons and taking a flight over London to drop pamphlets below. She was also imprisoned at one point. Wainwright’s research is exemplary and this book certainly has given me a new appreciation of what these early pioneering women were willing to go through.

[Samantha Battams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um, how did I not know about Muriel Matters before reading this book, since she came from Adelaide where I am from and still live?! Hopefully in this year celebrating women's suffrage in South Australia (125 years) there will be some mention of her (even though she was a famous suffragist years later in England). Great to read the history of this determined woman and suffragist, and read how her experiences shaped her story and the world at large.

[Veronica Schwarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing human being. One who offered insights on life, education, equality, social harmony, progress and peace, topics still needing attention 100 years on. Daring, courageous, brilliant and the finest orator. The book is brilliantly researched from long forgotten and well-buried sources, and written in a style that brings this great woman to life. Well done and thank you, Robert Wainwright.

[Nine Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing woman. I have read a lot of Australian history and biographies over the past 40 years, and I'm astounded that never heard of Muriel Matters before reading this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Suffragist movement or just for the pleasure of reading about another amazing Australian woman.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew little about Miss Muriel Matters, a remarkable, brave, passionate woman. I found this book engrossing, though the opening chapters are by far the weakest, both in content and writing. The book really improves from chapter eight, with the discussion of the suffragette movement, and Muriel's important role in effecting change. What a hero she is.

[Emily Wrayburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

like a 3.5* really? I'm not really Reader of biography but I had to read one for an assignment and hearing about lesser-known aspects and factions of the women's suffrage movement was really fascinating.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good interesting I love the amount of context and story for each person introduced into the book and how they connect with Muriel. It did start to feel a bit too long by the end though. But still worth the read.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman you should know.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, just loved it. I didn't know about Muriel until this book was in a box of books from Dymocks to choose from. Like the sound of her story. Lived up to expectations.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story about an inspiring woman.

[George Foord · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about a person I have never heard of before. Although I found the writing at times tedious

[Tiffany Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story from start to finish. Miss Muriel Matters really was a force to be reckoned with. Very interesting person.

[Christine Collyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating historical record tracing life of Muriel Matters, WFL member and humanitarian.

[Frugal Fun Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was lovely to hear the history of Muriel and her work with the Suffragette's. It certainly made me do some more research into history!

[Betty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read until page 130 and put the book down - never to be picked up again!

[Bettina Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed discovering this forgotten Australian who played such a pivotal part in the British Suffragist story.

It is books like these that remind us of who our ancestors are and their place in important historical events that makes me proud to be an Aussie.

[Kali Napier · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not just women fiction writers and historians uncovering stories of women marginalised from the pages of history, as Wainwright’s biography shows. At first, I found it off-putting and unusual for a man to write about one of Australia’s most eminent suffragists, but I found his treatment to be sympathetic and insightful. Muriel was an Australian elocutionist who visited London to play the stage, but who was caught up in the burgeoning suffrage cause. Because of her orator skills and her lack of social ties, and a bit of colonial girl derring-do, she was at the forefront of incredible public stunts. I could not believe I had never heard of Muriel Matters before. Wainwright contrasts the British suffrage movement with the Australian one, as well as the narrow aims of the suffragettes, and the social reforms that Muriel eventually dedicated herself to, including Montessori education.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting young woman during an intetesting time in history. A great example of following through on your convictions in the face of adversity. Well done Muriel and all who work towards positive change.
Thank you, Robert Wainwright for introducing me to Muriel.

[Natalie S]

Muriel Matters is a name we should all know but probably don’t. She was an inspiring woman, activist, and social re-former who played a vital role in the suffrage movement. Journalist and author Robert Wainwright has penned her biography, Miss Muriel Matters, and it’s a book that should restore Muriel’s name to the history books as it celebrates the stuff that truly, ahem, matters.

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