Irene Longman

Irene Maud Longman (née Bayley) (24 April 1877 – 29 July 1964) was a female Queensland politician. She was the first woman to stand and be elected to the Queensland Parliament.

Irene was born in Franklin, Tasmania, and educated in Sydney. She trained as a kindergarten teacher and taught at Sydney Girls' Grammar School and Rockhampton Girls' Grammar School. In 1904, she married Herber Longman and the couple chose to live in Queensland.

She served as president of the National Council of Women of Queensland from 1920 to 1924. Her parliamentary career began in 1929 representing the Country and Progressive National Party in the seat of Bulimba. While she was in Parliament, she was responsible for the first appointment of a Queensland woman police officer. She was never allowed to use the parliamentary dining room and had to eat her meals on the verandah. During her time in Parliament there were no female toilets in the building. She lost her seat in 1932.