Background
Irene Bailey was born in Franklin, Tasmania, and educated in Sydney.
Irene Bailey was born in Franklin, Tasmania, and educated in Sydney.
In 1904, she married Heber Longman and the couple chose to live in Queensland.
She trained as a kindergarten teacher and taught at Sydney Girls" Grammar School and Rockhampton Girls" Grammar School. She served as president of the National Council of Women of Queensland from 1920 to 1924. Irene Longman"s parliamentary career began in the 1929 election when, representing the Country and Progressive National Party, she was elected in the seat of Bulimba to the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
While she was in Parliament, she was responsible for the first appointment of a Queensland woman police officer
As a woman, 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.
Longman lost her seat in the 1932 election. Percy Bayley represented Pittsworth 1915–1920 and James Bayley represented Wynnum 1933-1935.
Irene Longman Irene died on 29 July 1964 in Saint Andrew"s Hospital in Brisbane and was privately cremated.
She was the first woman to stand and be elected as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Longman had two brothers who were also members of the Queensland Parliament.