By the early 1990s, it had become even more acceptable for women to be seen playing their instruments and writing their own material. Women songwriters were getting recording deals and Australian bands like DEF FX with Fiona Horne, The Shivers with Wendy Morrison, The Killjoys with Anna Burley on guitar and vocals and Caroline Schwerkolt on vibes, Cleopatra Wong with Amanda Brown as vocalist and Lindy Morrison on drums, My Friend the Chocolate Cake with Helen Mountford on cello and Hope Csutros on violin, Angie Hart from Frente and Nina Grant on bass with Mantissa were amongst those signing contracts.

In the 1990s,  Australian audiences realised that the music their country was as good as what was happening in the rest of the world. Australian bands were headlining festivals, topping charts and were being played all over the radio. And while the influence of grunge was prevalent early on, shades of electronic music, power-pop, hip hop, worldbeat and a new breed of folk music also emerged out of this diverse musical decade. 

Indie/Rock:

Suze DeMarchi (pictured) is best known for fronting the hard rock band Baby Animals who were active from October 1989 to 1996 and reformed in 2007.They recorded two studio albums, Baby Animals (September 1991) – which peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and Shaved and Dangerous (August 1993) – which reached No. 2. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992. The group won three trophies: Album of the Year and Breakthrough Artist – Album for Baby Animals and Breakthrough - Single for "Early Warning". Baby Animals was listed in 100 Best Australian Albums (October 2010).

Clouds (pictured) are an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia formed in December 1989. The core of the group consisted of frontwomen Jodi Phillis (guitar and vocals) and Patricia "Trish" Young (bass and vocals). The Clouds' music is distinguished by rapid and unusual chord changes, creative bass guitar, and Phillis and Young's vocal harmonies. Clouds secured a recording contract with Red Eye Records in 1990 and began recording their debut EP in May which was released in October, titled Cloud Factory. The EP peaked at number 118 on the ARIA chart. In April 1991, they released the EP Loot, featuring the song "Soul Eater". Loot peaked at number 22 on the ARIA chart. In mid 1991, recording for the Penny Century album began. The album was released in October 1991, and peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Chart. It spawned the singles "Hieronymous" and "Anthem". The  band broke up in 1997. 

Josie Jason (pictured) was a guitar virtuoso who played in bands from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s including Jimi the Human, Spectre 7, Mother, Goddess and fronted Josie Jason and the Argonauts. Jason was also a session player, guitar teacher, mentor and a Goddess of Melbourne rock and she was an integral part of the St Kilda music scene. She had a residency at the Espy for years.

Screamfeeder with Kellie Lloyd (pictured) on bass guitar and vocals is a noisy pop/indie rock band from Brisbane who formed in 1991. Screamfeeder have released seven studio albums: Flour (June 1992), Burn Out Your Name (August 1993), Fill Yourself With Music (1995), Kitten Licks (1996), Rocks on the Soul (2000), Take You Apart (2003) and Pop Guilt (2017).

Formed in Brisbane around high school friends Bek Moore (vocals), Rachael Cooke (guitar) and Alison Bolger (bass) in the very early 1990s, demented mostly girl group Clag (pictured) seemed cute and innocent at first. Their disarming exterior, however, was merely a front, disguising examinations of the human psyche that grew darker and more twisted as the band progressed. 

Singer and guitarist Adalita Srsen, simply known as ‘Adalita’, was a founding member of the rock band Magic Dirt (pictured). In the early 1990s, she formed a band, Deer Bubbles, with Dean Turner. While, this band didn't last long, by 1992, Adalita and Turner, as well as guitarist Daniel Herring, had formed The Jim Jims. Adalita and Turner then formed Magic Dirt following the addition of drummer Adam Robertson. Their top 40 releases on the ARIA Albums Chart are Friends in Danger (1996), What Are Rock Stars Doing Today (2000), Tough Love (2003) and Snow White (2005). They have received nine ARIA Music Award nominations including four at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995 for Life Was Better. 

Little Ugly Girls formed in Hobart, Tasmania in the very early 90s, The band formed around fiery vocalist Linda Johnston, whose high-kicking stage antics make her one of Australia's most electrifying frontpeople. Katie Dixon and Jo-Anne Roberts both played bass with Ripe, an alternative rock/shoegaze band from Melbourne. They released two albums,  Filterfeed in 1990 on Polyester Records and The Plastic Hassle in 1993 on Beggars Banquet. They split up shortly after their second album.

Rock and indie pop trio Smudge formed in 1991 with Alison Galloway on drums. Pollyanna formed in Sydney in early 1992 with Andrea Croft on vocals and guitar and Maryke ('Rayke') Stapleton on bass guitar. 

The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in Western Australia in 1992 by sisters Vikki Thorn (harmonica, guitar, vocals) and Donna Simpson (guitar, vocals). The band's 2003 album Up All Night reached the top five of the Australian Albums Chart, achieving double platinum status and winning four ARIA Awards in October.

Fur are a three-piece rock band from the Gold Coast / Brisbane, who formed in 1993 and included Vocalist/guitarist Kim Myer and bassist Mindy Mapp.  Moler were formed as an indie guitar pop trio, Snuff, in Melbourne in 1993 by Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals. 

Holocene had Kerrie Hickin on bass and vocals and Joanne Roberts on guitar and vocals. Nadia Markovic was the bass player for metal band Christbait before joining Brisbane grunge band Budd in the early 1990s. 

Jebediah formed in 1994 in Perth and had Vanessa Thornton on bass guitar. In 1999 and 2005 she won the Western Australia Music Industry award for best bass player.  Blitz Babiez are a female-fronted punk rock band from Sydney, formed in the mid 1990s with Joanne Lanzon on vocals.

The Superjesus are an Australian rock band formed in Adelaide in late 1994 with Sarah McLeod (ex-Fallen Down Monster) on lead vocals and guitar. Their debut album, Sumo (February 1998), peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, while their top 40 singles include "Down Again" (1997), "Now and Then" (1998), "Gravity" (2000) and "Stick Together" (2003). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1997 they won Best New Talent for Eight Step Rail and Breakthrough Artist – Single for "Shut My Eyes". The group disbanded in mid-2004, and reunited in 2013.

Velvet Hammer started off as a Goth/punk band and transitioned into a Metal band. The band, which had Paula Damnzal (pictured) as lead singer and guitarist was one of the most professional, hard working independent bands from the 1990's. The band existed from 1989-99. Official Releases included: Limited edition single: "Orgasmic Plasmic", Baby is A Psycho vinyl LP, Sir CD, Taedium Vitae CD, Exploding Head Syndrome CD, Flesh Fetish Factor CD. 

Spiderbait, an alternative rock band from New South Wales, formed in 1989 by bass guitarist and singer Janet English. The band moved to Melbourne in 1990, and they soon became part of Melbourne's underground music scene. Their single, "Buy Me a Pony", received extensive airplay on Triple J, resulting in listeners voting it as their favourite song in the Hottest 100 of 1996 – making Spiderbait the first Australian group to achieve this.

Caroline Kennedy-McCracken is an Australian musician and visual artist and has been a singer/songwriter and guitarist in 1990s indie bands The Plums (1992–1995) and Deadstar(1995–2001).  Peggy Frew plays bass and sings in Art of Fighting, an indie rock band from Melbourne that formed in 1995.  

Genevieve Maynard and Cindy Ryan were founding members of the successful electro-rock group Stella One Eleven which formed in 1997.

Jenny Pineapple is a sax player and  Sonja Parkinson is a trombone player who both  played with the Melbourne rock band Painters and Dockers in the mid-late 1990s. 

Stephanie Ashworth played bass in Indie-rock / power-pop band Sandpit (1994-98).  She then joined alternative rock band Something for Kate in 1998, on bass guitar and backing vocals.

Kill Krush Destroy was Kat Orgovany's first Indie rock band where she was the singer/songwriter. The band formed in 1995 and released a CD album titled Kill Krush Destroy in 1996 and a CD EP titled Shut Up and Play in 1997. The band played many shows around Melbourne and were well received, almost becoming the house band on the ABC TV show, Recovery. The band folded in 1998.  KTV soon followed in 1998.

Ella Hooper is the lead singer of Killing Heidi. The band formed in 1996 (when Ella was 13) and also featured her older brother Jesse Hooper. In August 1999, Killing Heidi released "Weir" as their debut single. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000, Killing Heidi won four ARIA Music Awards. 

Movements:

Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s in the United States, and which is often associated with third-wave feminism. The movement combines feminism, punk music and politics. Riot grrrl songs often addressed issues such as rape, domestic abuse, sexuality, racism, patriarchy, classism, anarchism, and female empowerment. In addition to a unique music scene and genre, riot grrrl became a subculture involving a DIY ethic, zines, art, political action, and activism.  The Riot grrrl movement spread to at least 26 other countries, including Australia, whihc had several of its own Riot grrrl fanzines including 'Grot Grrrl', 'Thunderpussy', 'Ms 45' and 'Purr'. 

Nitocris were one of the country's first all-female punk rockers of the "grot grrrls" movement (analogous to the United States riot grrrls). Other groups in the "grot grrls" movement were Fur, Mace, Bittersweet, Sulk, Dolljuice, Gravelrash and SPDFGH.

Places and Spaces - Rock ’n’ Roll High School:

As part of the Riot grrrl movement, there existed a space on Easy St in Collingwood, called Rock'n'Roll Highschool (pictured) -  a school for young females to learn how to play rock music and create their own bands.  In the summer of 1989 Stephanie Bourke, then a university student, teaching classical piano, and later a drummer in band Hecate (pictured), ran a summer music program at her house and said that her piano students were looking to explore other instruments and genres to play, so setting up a place to make rock music seemed the best step.  

Using borrowed gear to set up practice rooms and recording facilities, and employing friends to act as teachers, Bourke used the school to promote rock music and the DIY culture around it. After a year of this first iteration of her eponymous school, with around seventy girls continually using Bourke’s gear and space, Bourke went to find a more official place.

By 1990 Rock ’n’ Roll High School (RnRHS) was born, and a permanent space was found at an old milk bar at 186 Easey Street, Collingwood.

As a safe, and affordable alternative to other places and institutions of the time, RnRHS was the starting ground for over two thousand students to form bands such as Bindi, Midget Stooges, Sheraw, and Sourpuss. The school was both the go-to place to rehearse, and a doorway to wider exposure to the music scene.

Under the Rock ’n’ Roll High School Records label, four compilation CDs of recordings were released of the bands that frequented the premises. These compilations garnered recognition internationally and led to numerous label signings as well as sparking the interest of those part of the riot grrrl movement in the US.  Bands such as Midget Stooges, toured with Dinosaur Jr. and lead singer and guitarist of Sourpuss, Brody Dalle (pictured), went on to form The Distillers after her move to LA. 

The coinciding of RnRHS with the riot grrrl movement, led to the increasing popularity of the place for Melbourne women part of the music scene, but as the movement grew, it also played host to a number of American bands. Sonic Youth, L7, and Babes in Toyland donated to the school when they came to watch bands practice and check out the premises. 

When Bikini Kill were featured in the 1995 riot grrrl documentary Not Bad for a Girl, they were alongside RnRHS who were gaining ever more recognition outside of Melbourne. This increased publicity, led to its regular gigs holding bands such as Fugazi, the Melvins, and Juliana Hatfield, giving students access to bands they would not otherwise be able to see, and a look into what they could be.

From 1990 until its closure in 2002, RnRHS acted as a space for predominately female youth to take lessons, practice, perform, and record their music, a space that is unlikely to be truly recreated. Members of Tuff Muff pronounced that "everything we are, is due to Rock and Roll High School."

RnRHS bands included: Hecate, Smurfblood, Bindi, Snodra, Blinde Spectators, Camden, Spot the Beast, Protea, Midget Stooges, Four, Leviathan, Gritty Kitty, Tuff Muff, Sheraw, Sourpuss, Litany, Craw, Dead Catt By Max, Curmudgeon, Otis, Awkward Squad, Janelle, Snotrag, Oiska, Hyrum, Resistica, Tirany, Skinny Frances, Harmpit, Melissa's Partisan, Smutterfly, Susy Brown, Dead Girls, Sagacity, Cystine, Tribal Clown, Resistica, Aspasia, Matramuta, Firesign, Myagi, Lego, Transatlantic, Unfolding Mud, Cartwheel, Hairey, Faux, Sagacity, Kasha, Healthy, Slaughterhouse 69, Boadicea, Miffy, Sterile, Spounge, and Porcelain, among others...

All Female Acts:

• Exploding Daisies (pictured) are a five-piece all-girl pop band originally from Sydney and consisted of Rachel Parkinson (drums/vocals), Susie Purcell (lead guitar), Jill Jackson (vocals/guitar/recorder/mandolin), Natasha Hart (bass), and Karen Morecombe (vocals, rhythm guitar). ​The Daisies formed in 1989 at school at Maroubra Beach. They quickly gained attention after reaching the finals (1990) and winning (1991) the Youthrock band competition held annually.​The Daisies used their first prize winnings to record their debut EP, Floral Sex; launching the famous Annandale Hotel, quickly followed by their first tour as support for The Sharp, then a tour in Queensland with Melbourne band, Barefoot. ​A big year in 1995 saw the Daisies tour with GANGgajang and start recording their second album; they played their last show at the local University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney.

• Girlfriend was an Australian girl group formed in 1991. Their debut album Make It Come True was released in 1992 and contained four ARIA top 50 singles, including the #1 hit, "Take It From Me". The group also became recognised for its fashion sense, with their flower hats becoming a symbol of the band; at one point, they had their own clothing line.

• Nitocris (pictured) were an Australian punk and heavy metal band formed in 1992 by Sara Louise Anderson (aka Sara Graye) on bass guitar, Jessamine Jean Finlayson on lead guitar, Andrea Marie Stanway on drums and Kira Taylor on rhythm guitar. They were one of the country's first all-female punk rockers of the "grot grrrls" movement (related to the United States riot grrrls). They released their debut album, Screaming Dolorous on Phantom Records in 1994. Their second album, Nitocris, followed in 2000 and they disbanded in November 2001. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001, Nitocris were nominated for 'Best Independent Release' for "Manic"

• Spdfgh (pictured) were an Australian all-female rock band active in the mid 1990s. It was founded by Kim Bowers, Liz Payne, Tania Bowers, Melanie Thurgar, and Angela Morosin. The group’s name comes from the letters used in chemistry to determine the number of electrons in the shells of an atom.

• Gravel Rash area four-piece female punk band from Brisbane who were active during the early to mid 1990s. Formerly known as The Fuzzbabes prior to their name change and adopting a tougher image. The band was made up of Heli: guitar/vocals, Lisa: bass/vocals, Michelle: lead guitar and Colleen: drums.

• Sourpuss were a short-lived band that were formed in 1994 and released one single ''Solvent'' and one EP, 'Tabouli' on the Fellaheen label. In 1995 the band played a set at Australia's Summersault Festival. The band was made up of Brody Dalle on vocals/guitar, Cobina Crawford on bass, Sarah Barber on guitar and Suzie Brown on drums. At the age of 18 in 1997, Brody moved to the United States (Los Angeles), putting an end to the Sourpuss' life and starting a new musical career with The Distillers.

• The Boyettes were a three-piece all-girl garage rock band formed in the late 1990s. The band comprised of Jo Boyette [Jo Ward] on guitar and vocals, Maria Boyette [Maria Sokratis] on bass and Claud Boyette on drums.

• Bardot (pictured) was an Australian pop girl group which formed in 1999, consisting of Belinda Chapple, Sophie Monk, Sally Polihronas, Katie Underwood and Tiffani Wood. The group formed on the Australian reality television series Popstars, which attracted high ratings and significant media exposure. This resulted in the instant success of Bardot's debut single "Poison" and debut album Bardot (2000), both which entered the Australian and New Zealand charts at number 1.

• Vika and Linda, also known as Vika and Linda Bull, are an Australian vocal duo consisting of Vika Bull OAM and her younger sister, Linda Bull. By mid-1988, Vika and Linda had joined the Black Sorrows, a blues-rock group, which had formed in 1983 by Joe Camilleri (ex-Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons) on lead vocals and saxophone. Vika and Linda provided backing vocals on the band's hits on the related ARIA Singles Chart, "Hold On to Me", "Chained to the Wheel" and "The Crack-Up". Their second album with The Black Sorrows was Harley & Rose (November 1990) and saw the duo provide lead vocals on some of the album tracks. It peaked at No. 3 and provided two top 30 singles, "Harley + Rose" and "Never Let Me Go". Better Times was released in September 1992 and peaked at No. 13. The duo's self-titled debut album was released in June 1994 on Mushroom Records and was produced by Paul Kelly. 

POP! / Dance

Following the break-up of the Go-Betweens, Amanda Brown and Lindy Morrison (pictured) formed the pop band Cleopatra Wong (1990–1993) in Sydney. They released two EPs on the rooArt label, six-track Egg (February 1992) and five-track Cleopatra's Lament (March 1993), including the single (and video) "Thank You". Besides violin and keyboards Brown provided lead vocals, mandolin and acoustic guitar; together with Morrison, she co-wrote their material. Brown was the first musician to guest host the ABC-TV music video programme, rage, on 7 January 1990.

The Mavis's was formed as a post-punk band in Ballarat in 1987 with keyboard player/singer, Becky Thomas (pictured), singer/guitarist Matt Thomas (Matt Doll), guitarist Andrew Craw, bassist Katherine McNulty, and drummer Andrea Vendy. In 1990, The Mavis's moved to Melbourne where they released their debut single, "Rollercoaster", the following year.  The band released three studio albums: Venus Returning (July 1996), Pink Pills (April 1998) – which reached No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart – and Rapture (March 2003). Their synth-driven single, "Cry" (January 1998), peaked at No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Charts and was listed on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1998. The band also performed the song on Hey Hey It's Saturday. They disbanded in December 2001 after a farewell tour of Australia.

Def FX was an Australian band founded in 1990 that included Fiona Horne (pictured) on lead vocals. The band released four albums between 1992 and 1996 before disbanding in April 1997. Def FX's music included elements of electronic dance music, grunge and pop.

Angie Hart (pictured) is an Australian singer who is best known for her role as lead vocalist in the alternative pop rock band Frente! who were formed in Melbourne in 1989. She is renowned for her delicate songcraft, lyrics, and breathy vocals. In August 1991, they issued their debut extended play Whirled, which included the track, "Labour of Love". In March 1992, they released a second EP, Clunk, with its featured track "Ordinary Angels", peaking at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was followed in October by "Accidently Kelly Street" which reached No. 4. Their debut album, Marvin the Album, issued in November, peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. "Labour of Love" was released as an EP outside of Australasia in 1994 as a CD single with a cover version of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" included. The band split up in 1998, but have reunited three times to date.

My Friend the Chocolate Cake were formed initially as an acoustic side project in 1989 and consisted of Helen Mountfort on cello and backing vocals, along with Hope Csutoros on violin in 1990. With a budget of $800, the group released their debut self-titled album, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, in 1992 and it peaked at number 109 on the ARIA Charts in April of that year. 

Philippa Nihill was a vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player and Emma Bortignonwas bass player with early 1990s pop-rock band The Underground Lovers.

Bachelor Girl are an Australian pop duo, formed in 1992 with Tania Doko as vocalist and James Roche as musician, producer and arranger. Their 1998 debut single, "Buses and Trains", was a top-10 hit in Australia and New Zealand; it peaked in the top 30 in Sweden and charted in the UK. The follow-up single, "Treat Me Good", reached the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. Their debut studio album, Waiting for the Day, was released in 1998 and reached the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart and achieved platinum certification. Worldwide, Bachelor Girl has sold a total of more than 500,000 albums and singles. Bachelor Girl shot the video for Buses and Trains in 1998, East Kilda Woodstock Studio (Joe Camelleri’s old studio) on a 42 degree day! Bachelor Girl's first album Waiting for the Day was made in Elwood and the band was one of the headline acts at the St Kilda festival, 2000.

By the time she was 18 Merril Bainbridge was singing and gaining live experience with a succession of small original bands playing around Melbourne. By trading session vocals for studio time, Merril was able to hone her songwriting and recording skills. She recorded a three-song demo tape, comprising acoustic guitar and vocals, and sent it to Gotham Records. Her debut single "Mouth" was released in October 1994 and re-released in February 1995. The single went to Number One and stayed there for six weeks. Merril is the first Australian female singer/songwriter to have a Number One hit with a self-penned single. Her debut album "The Garden" containing "Mouth" was released in August 1995.

B(if)tek was an Australian electronic music duo comprising Kate Crawford  and Nicole Skeltys, which formed in Canberra in 1994. They release three albums, Sub-Vocal Theme Park (1996), 2020 (2000) and Frequencies Will Move Together (2003) before disbanding in 2003. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1999, B(if)tek were nominated as Best Dance Release for the track "Bedrock", which appeared on their second album. 

Max Sharam is an Australian-American multi-disciplinary artist and singer-songwriter. In the mid-1990s, Sharam had three top 40 hit singles in Australia, "Coma", "Be Firm" and "Lay Down", from her top 10 album A Million Year Girl (1995). She received eight nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995.

Former Neighbours actress Natalie Imbruglia had a worldwide hit with her debut single - a cover of Ednaswap's song "Torn" (1997). The song topped the US Billboard Radio Songs Chart for eleven weeks in 1998, and was listed on the 50 Best Songs of the 1990s by Rolling Stone.  Her debut album, Left of the Middle (1997), was a commercial success, certified multi-platinum in the US, the UK and Australia and eventually sold seven million copies worldwide.

Monique Brumby (pictured) is an Australian Indie pop/rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. Her debut single, "Fool for You", peaked into the top 40 in the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) ARIA Singles Charts, and provided an ARIA Award for Best New Talent at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996. Her single, "Mary", won an ARIA Music Awards of 1997 for ARIA Award for Best Female Artist. 

Wendy Rule is a Australian singer/songwriter who combines elements of folk and cabaret, with gothic soundscapes and lush arrangements. In 1996, Rule began prolifically writing songs about Magic, Witchcraft and mythology, which formed the songs for her first album, Zero (1996). I

In 1996, Martine Locke started an acoustic duo called The Velvet Janes with Rose Farrow. 

Katie Noonan is an Australian singer/songwriter. In addition to a successful solo career encompassing opera, jazz, pop, rock and dance, she was the singer in the band George, that formed in 1996 to enter a university music competition. They released a series of independent EPs, namely George in 1998, You Can Take What's Mine in 1999 and Bastard Son/Holiday in 2000.

Laura MacFarlane is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and audio engineer. Since 1996 she is the founding mainstay of the Australian indie rock band, ninetynine. The first album, 99, was recorded with her playing all the instruments.  Ninetynine's music has been described as art-pop, combining elements of indie rock, post punk and power pop with strong melodic elements and an often playful approach.

Madison Avenue was an Australian electronic music duo consisting of writer-producer Andy Van Dorsselaer and singer-lyricist Cheyne Coates. Madison Avenue is best known for the song "Don't Call Me Baby" (October 1999), which peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart in 1999 and topped the charts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom in 2000.  

"Addicted to Bass" is a song by Josh Abrahams (Puretone) and Amiel Daemion, featuring Daemion on vocals. It reached the top 20 in the Australian charts in 1998.

Vanessa Amorosi is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her combined album and single sales have reached over two million worldwide.Amorosi rose to fame in 1999 with the release of her debut single, "Have a Look", which reached gold status in Australia. The following year, she achieved international success with her debut studio album, The Power.

Blues/Jazz:

Kerri Simpson (pictured) is a blues singer from Melbourne.  Her album Confessin' the Blues was nominated for a 1999 ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album.

Lil’ Fi is a legendary Australian performer, singer and entertainer and a 5 times winner of best female vocalist at the Australian Blues Music Awards. In 1998 she founded the all star female A Capella group The Flannelettes featuring the vocals of Alison St Ledger, Anje West, Barb Fordham, Donna Shepherd, Helen McGreevey, Jo Grant, Kerryanne Farrer, Lil' Fi,Liz Pickering and Sweet Felicia. In 1999 Lil' Fi released he first album titled Retail Therapy and continued to release albums into the 2000s. She has also been featured in the 'Women In Voice' series 8 times.

Rebecca Barnard is a Melbourne-based Australian singer, songwriter and musician. She founded the band Rebecca’s Empire. The band toured extensively, supported Billy Bragg on his Australian tour, released three EPs and two albums (Way of All Things in 1996, and Welcome in 1999) and appeared on the Triple J Hottest 100 albums three years in a row. Rebecca’s Empire disbanded in 2000 when the duties of being a mother took priority. Barnard is a Melbourne-based musician with a versatile musical range, delving into rock, and pop, but is mainly a jazz singer. 

Shelley Scown is probably best known for her 1997 Jazz album, Angel with Paul Grabowsky Trio. She collaborated with other respected Australian musicians, such as Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, The Groovematics and Kate Ceberano. 

Since 1997 Andrea Marr has been delivering her brand of high energy, sassy, soulful blues. 

Country/Folk:

Tess McKenna is an independent artist based in Melbourne. She has released two EPs and five studio albums since 1991: March,The One Way, Make Me Wonder, Take Me To The Place, Boom Bam, The New Everything and Before You Wandered In.

In 1991, Lo Carmen formed 12 piece country band, The Honky Tonk Angels, with Justine Clarke.

Kasey Chambers (pictured) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier to fellow musicians Diane and Bill Chambers. Her older brother is musician and producer Nash Chambers. All four were members of family country-music group Dead Ringer Band in Bowral, New South Wales from 1992 to 1998; Chambers launched her solo career thereafter. Five of her twelve studio albums have reached No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Barricades & Brickwalls (September 2001), Wayward Angel (May 2004), Carnival (August 2006) Rattlin' Bones (April 2008), and Dragonfly (January 2017). In November 2018 she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and has won an additional 14 ARIA Music Awards with nine for Best Country Album.

Tania Kernagha is a country music singer. She is the sister of Lee Kernaghan and daughter of Ray Kernaghan. During her career, Tania has amassed sixteen #1 radio hits singles, numerous awards, sell out concerts and record sales in the hundreds of thousands. In 1992, Kernaghan released her first single, "I'll Be Gone". Her first album, 'December Moon', was released in January 1996. It was nominated for Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996.

Melbourne songstress Tanya-Lee Davies (pictured) is a heart-seeking missile, who specializes in dreamy / pop country / psychedelic folk sounds: big on melody, lush vocals and lyrics that cast spells. Her first releases was an 8-track album titled Perfect Moment, released in 1994 that was Recorded and mixed at the Espy Studios, located behind the famous Gershwin Room stage.

Lisa Miller is an Australian country pop singer-songwriter and guitarist. She has issued seven albums, Quiet Girl with a Credit Card (1996), As Far as a Life Goes (1999), Car Tape (2002), Version Originale (2003), Morning in the Bowl of Night (2007), Car Tape 2 (2010) and Meet the Misses (2012). She has a clear, bitter-sweet voice and provides poignant semi-biographical lyrics. At the ARIA Music Awards she has been nominated nine times.

Suzannah Espie is a Melbourne-based singer/songwriter. She began performing with her alt-country pop band, GIT with Trish Anderson and Sarah Carroll, in 1997.  With a voice marrying country, soul, blues and pop, Suzannah has performed on albums by artists ranging from Mick Thomas, Jeff Lang and Matt Walker to Liz Stringer and Barb Waters.

Barb Waters has been a feature of the music landscape for many decades. Through her work with Chris Wilson’s Crown of Thorns, The Hollowmen, and fronting her own bands the Rough Diamonds, Barb Waters and the Mothers of Pearl, Barb has made a significant contribution to Australia’s roots-country-rock movement. As singer- song-writer and guitarist, Barb has released albums including Til the Morning Comes (1999) and Buffalo Mountain Girl (2010), receiving favourable airplay and reviews.

Indigenous Artists:

Ruby Hunter (pictured) was a Ngarrindjeri/Kukatha/Pitjantjatjara woman from South Australia taken from her Aboriginal family at 8 years of age and fostered into a white family. While homeless and living on the streets, Ruby met her lifelong partner and musical soulmate, Archie Roach, who discovered her first written songs hidden in their hostel room. Archie recorded Ruby’s 1989 song "Down City Streets" on his debut album, Charcoal Lane. Ruby released her first solo album, Thoughts Within, in 1994 and was the first Aboriginal woman to be signed to a major record label.

Originally the three women, Amy Saunders (a Gunditjmara woman from Portland), Lou Bennett (a Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung woman from Echuca) and Sally Dastey (from West Heidelberg) combined their vocal talents as backing singers for Aboriginal band Djaambi, led by Saunders' brother Richard Frankland in 1990. The group were invited to perform at a musical celebration for women's artistic achievement, 'Hot Jam Cooking', in Richmond, Victoria. Their performance was well received and inspired Ruby Hunter to dub the trio Tiddas (pictured), which is Koori for the "sisters". After performing together for over a year the band came to the attention of Paul Petran, host of ABC National Radio show 'Music Deli', who assisted Tiddas to record their debut EP, Inside My Kitchen in 1991. Inside My Kitchen was released in October 1992 and received two nominations, for 'Best New Talent' and 'Best Indigenous Release', at the ARIA Music Awards of 1993.

Christine Anu (pictured) is an Australian singer/songwriter and actress of Torres Strait Islander origin. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home" in 1995. Anu has been nominated for many ARIA Awards, winning several, as well as five Deadly Awards, among others.

Other female Singers/Musicians/Acts of this era include: Adele Pickvance, Adrielle Spence, Alison Galloway, Ana Christensen, Annalisse Morrow, Beccy Cole, Bek-Jean Stewart, Bianca Lew, Brenda Webb, Bridie King, Butterfly Boucher, Carolyn Boon,   Cath Meeson , Carton, Claire Birchall, Cyndi Boste, Deborah Denton, Deni Hines, Diana Anaid, Diane Peters, Edwina Preston, Elenor Rayner, Eleanor Rodgers, Emma Bortignon, Emily Swann, Fiona Kitschin, Gabrielle Cotton, Gemma Deacon,  Gillian Kilgour, Helen Meany, Jen Anderson, Joanne Accom, Jodi Martin, Joy Howard,  Josephine Richards, Julia Bourke, Judy Chiara, Kay-Louise Patterson, Kath Battaglene, Kirsty Stegwazi, Kathryn Brownhill, Kerrie Bolton, Kiley Joy Gaffney, Kylie Crane,  Lenore Betteridge, Liz Trigger, Mahalia Barnes, Margot Smith, Martine Locke, Meg Butler,  Melanie Williamson, Melinda Page, Melissa Iocco, Merida Sussex, Mia Schoen,  Monika Fikerle, Monique Wakelin, Naomi Henderson, Natalia Mann, Nicole Thibault,  Pearly Black, Phaedra Press, Rachael Coutts, Romy Hoffman, Ruth Apelt, Rosie Westbrook, Sara Mae Libero, Samantha Escarbe, Selina Jenkins, Shireen Khemlani,  Sulk, Susannah Stewart-Lindsay, Tracy Ellis, Trish Young, Zuni Wild Drake.

Interesting Facts:

• The following article appeared in the May 1992 edition of JUKE magazine - reinforcing the gender stereotyping typical in the music industry. Cleopatra Wong's record label rooArt (is) apparently not all that impressed upon discovering that singer Amanda Brown is pregnant, sex symbols heavy with child being a tad hard to market.

• In 1998 novice promoter Melynda von Wayward organised two female-focused gigs at the Ritz in St Kilda called 'Womansong', featuring the talents of Mia Stone, Rhonda and Laura from Ninety-Nine, Rachael Mental Guitarist, Hope Csutoros, Hot Lolly, Pearly Black, Cath Meeson, Edwina Preston, Diane Peters and Zuni and Friends..

Photo Credits: 

• Suze DeMarchi, c.1990 - Source: Pinterest

• Clouds, c.1990 - Source: Discogs

• Josie Jason, c.1990 - Source: Facebook 

• Clag, early 1990s - Source: Facebook
  

• Screamfeeder, c.1991 - Source: Alchetron

• Magic Dirt, c.1992 - Source: Discogs

• Paula, Velvet Hammer, c. 1992   - Source: Paula Damnzal

• Grot grrrl fanzine cover, c.1996 - Source: Australian Women in Rock and Pop Music

• All-age gig outside RnRHS in 1996 - Source: A Brief History of Rock ’n’ Roll School for Girls

• Sarah Blaby, far left, with Rock ’n Roll High School headmistress Stephanie Bourke (centre) and fellow students Alex Castaniotis (drums), Sarah McKeown (bass) and Jessie McEvoy in 1997 - Source: Sydney Morning Herald

• Brody and Sue from Sourpuss standing in front of the old whiteboard, c. 1995 - Source: Facebook

• Exploding Daisies, c.1992 - Source: Exploding Daisies

• Nitocris, c. 1992 - Source: Alchetron

• Spdfgh, c.1995 - Source: Discogs

• Bardot, c. 1999 - Source: Discogs

• Cleopatra Wong, c.1992 - source: Discogs

• Beki Colada and Andrea Vendy - The Mavis's, c. 1990 - Source: Women of Music

• Fiona Horne,  Def FX, 1997 - Source: Fiona Horne

• Angie Hart, Frente!, 1997 - Photo by  Jacqueline Mitelman - Source: NLA

• Monique Brumby, c.1996 - Source: Monique Brumby Facebook

• Kerri Simpson, c.1999 - Source: Blues Train

• Kasey Chambers, 1999 - Source: 68to05

• Tanya Lee Davies, 1997 - Source: Tanya Lee Davies

• Lisa Miller LP cover, 1996 - Source: Discogs

• Ruby Hunter, 1988 - Source: NFSA - Courtesy Jacqueline Mitelman and the National Library of Australia

• Tiddas, c.1990 - Source: ABC

• Christine Anu, Stylin' Up album cover, 1995 - Source: Discogs

• Womansong flier, 1998 - Source: Melynda von Wayward