Schoolgirl’s campaign for more statues of women

A 10-year-old girl who campaigned after realising Brisbane had so few female statues will see her efforts come to life as one is erected to mark a Brisbane-born woman now investigating life on Mars.

A bronze statue of pioneering Australian geologist and astrobiologist Dr Abigail Allwood. Picture: Supplied

A campaign by a 10-year-old girl who questioned why Brisbane had so few female statues celebrating their accomplishments will see a new statue erected to mark a Brisbane-born woman now investigating life on Mars.

Malia Knox crowd funded $20,000 for the bronze statue of NASA astrobiologist Dr Abigail Allwood that will be installed outside the Brisbane Planetarium, with the Palaszczuk Government tipping in $35,000 and Statues for Equality funding the rest.

Attorney-General and Women’s Minister Shannon Fentiman will announce the funding on Saturday, nearly two years after Malia began her #femalefaces4publicplaces project through a petition to parliament.

Ten-year-old Malia Knox with Attorney-General and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman. Picture Supplied

Dr Allwood works at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory exploring the detection of life on other planets and the evolution of early life on earth, and is the first woman and first Australian to be principal investigator on a Mars mission.

“I always say you can‘t be what you can’t see, and if we can honour women’s achievements and have them on display for young girls everywhere, then we are helping to show young girls that they can do anything,” Ms Fentiman said.

“I couldn‘t think of a better role model for the hundreds of girls who visit the Brisbane Planetarium each year on school excursions and visits with their families to look up to.”

Malia’s quest to improve representation began during a visit to Sherwood Arboretum in 2020 when she asked her mother Kelley Knox why all the plaques in the central promenade were for men.

Dr Abigail Allwood is leading a mission to Mars.

“I feel really sad that in every park and playground I go to I am only seeing pictures, plaques and statues of men,” Malia said.

“When I am only seeing men, I start to feel like men are more important than women.

“I know this isn’t true but this is what I’m seeing every day so it’s hard not to believe it.

“Young girls like me need to be seeing strong female models when they are playing in the park so that they can learn about them and be inspired by them.”

Malia’s campaign has previously led to a more inclusive government policy around the criteria used to choose memorials and monuments.