with the great strikes of the 1890s, miller was active in supporting the 1891 australian shearers' strike and in setting up the prisoners' relief fund for the twelve arrested strike leaders. while william lane chose to set up in 1892 the new australia community in paraguay along socialist lines which attracted many labour activists, miller believed lane was "opting out of the struggle" and became a foundation member of the workers' political organisation, a forerunner of the australian labor party in queensland. she became colloquially known as "mother miller", as she was the most dominant female figure in the queensland labour movement.