About Jeanne Young
Lived 1866 – 1955 (aged 88). Jeanne Young was an Australian women's rights activist.
Sarah Jane Young (; known as Jeanne Forster Young; 1 July 1866 – 11 April 1955) was an Australian political reformer.
Born at Unley in Adelaide to smith John Forster and Sarah Jane, née Jarvis, she received a private education before becoming a governess and piano teacher; she also attempted freelance journalism, and lost the sight in one eye in an accident with a horse and trap. She married journalist Alfred Howard Young at her father's home in East Adelaide on 23 January 1889. She became secretary of the Effective Voting League in 1897 as Jeanne Forster Young and named Catherine Spence as an inspiration.
Young and Spence campaigned in Sydney in 1900 for the Hare-Spence method to be used for federal elections, staying with Rose Scott, and after Spence's death Young completed and published Spence's unfinished autobiography. Young joined the Australian Red Cross Society, the South Australian Soldiers' Fund and the Wattle Day League (WDL) during World War I and directed a three-day exhibition for the WDL's motor ambulance committee in 1916. She left her husband, who had disagreed with her fervent nationalism, in 1917, although he continued to lend her his support. A justice of the peace from 1917, she was secretary of the Women's Representation League in 1918 and was an active member of the board of the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery from 1916, finally retiring (when almost blind) in 1928. In 1930 she founded the Proportional Representation Group. Jeanne published a biography, Catherine Helen Spence, in 1937. As an independent proportional representation advocate, she unsuccessfully ran for the House of Assembly in 1918 and 1938 and for the Senate in 1937. Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1938, Young published her last brochure in 1945.
Young died at Rose Park in 1955.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Jeanne Young's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jeanne Young's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jeanne Young?
Australian women's and political activist (1866–1955)
When was Jeanne Young born?
Jeanne Young was born on 1 July 1866 in Unley.
When did Jeanne Young die?
Jeanne Young died on 11 April 1955 in Rose Park.
What was Jeanne Young's occupation?
Jeanne Young was a women's rights activist.
What nationality was Jeanne Young?
Jeanne Young was Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jeanne Young. https://biography.guide/jeanne-young/
MLA: "Jeanne Young." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jeanne-young/.
Chicago: "Jeanne Young." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jeanne-young/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:18 UTC