Portia Geach was born in 1873. After her studies in Melbourne, Portia won a scholarship to the schools of the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1896. She also exhibited in England and New York, and worked in Paris where she exhibited at the salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Out of the art world, Portia's achievements were remarkable. She founded and was president of the Housewives' Progressive Association, she was a delegate to the International Council of Women's conference in Washington in 1925, and she served on the council of the Australian Women's Movement against Socialization. With a strong personality, she argued for equal pay for men and women, the right of women to hold public office, better conditi...