Cirrus@Austlit

'When Lillian Armfield became a police officer in 1915, do you know what her bosses armed her with? A handbag! She caught plenty of crooks with it though. Lillian became Australia’s first female detective and paved the way for thousands of women to follow her into the force.'

Source: ABC.

'Evonne Goolagong Cawley's first tennis racquet was a broomstick. Her second was a wooden paddle. It didn't hold her back. Evonne became the best tennis player in the world winning 14 grand slams and Wimbledon twice.'

Source: ABC.

'Surfer Layne Beachley grew up when girls were expected to sit on the beach and mind the boy’s towels. Layne ignored that ridiculous rule and became the best female surfer in the world — seven times!

'Narrated by Olympic gold medal winning hurdler and World Champion Sally Pearson.

Source: ABC.

'Susan Alberti loved playing AFL when she was a kid, but had to hang up her footy boots when her dad told her it was too rough to play with the boys. She didn’t think it was fair that girls were relegated to the sidelines. So she made it her mission to start a national Women’s AFL competition and get girls off the bench and onto the field where they belonged.

'Narrated by journalist, TV and radio presenter and founder of the Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation, Carrie Bickmore.'

Source: ABC.

'When she was a kid Gabi Hollows needed an operation to fix her crossed eyes. As a grown up she kept fixing eyes — just not her own. So far Gabi has helped more than two million people across the world regain their sight.

'Narrated by Australian ballet dancer, Ella Havelka.'

Source: ABC.

'Pam O’Neill grew up loving horse racing. There was just one problem — girls weren’t allowed to be jockeys. Pam thought that was ridiculous, so wrote hundreds of letters to racing bosses until she was allowed to become Australia’s first female licensed jockey.

'Narrated by Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell.'

Source: ABC.

'As a girl growing up in Mumbai, Veena Sahajwalla loved seeing how people reused all the rubbish. When she grew up, she became an engineer and a waste warrior determined to find new ways of turning mountains of trash into treasure.

'Narrated by the host of Behind The News Amelia Moseley.'

Source: ABC.

'I am woman hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore! Singer Helen Reddy was tired of hearing women sing about boyfriends and husbands, so she wrote a song about strong, independent women. Her song, I Am Woman, struck a chord and became an anthem for women around the world.

'Narrated by conservationist Madison Stewart, aka Shark Girl.'

Source: ABC.

'At school Julia Gillard’s least favourite subject was Home Economics. The teachers told her she’d need it one day, but Julia wasn’t so sure. She had her mind firmly set on a career. First she was a lawyer, then a politician and later she became Australia’s first female Prime Minister.

'Narrated by author and journalist Tracey Spicer.'

Source: ABC.

'Margaret Olley was a bit of a rebel who was often in trouble at school. But she loved to paint and found beauty in the everyday things around her. Margaret became one of Australia’s most loved artists and her paintings are famous around the world.

'Narrated by actor and producer Deborra-lee Furness.'

Source: ABC.