In what could be a watershed moment for the women's game in Australia, Alex Blackwell's side succeeded where Ricky Ponting's failed, by reclaiming the Ashes on home soil.
In the lead-up to Australia's seven wicket win in the one-off Test match at Bankstown Oval in Sydney, Ponting phoned his female counterpart with a message of support.
Blackwell said Ponting's call and the motivation to provide Australian cricket and its suffering supporters with something to cheer about, was what inspired her team to the historic win.
"We have received some huge support from the men's side and despite what happened with them this summer there were some efforts there that we took a lot of inspiration from," she said.
"It means a huge amount for us to win the Ashes back and I'm so proud of the girls. We take a lot of pride in wearing the Baggy Green.
"Winning the World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean was a highlight for us and winning the Ashes now, we are on a real high at the moment."
It was a stunning hat-trick from swing bowler Rene Farrell midway through day three which turned the match in Australia's favour after England had led by 48 runs on the first innings and
looked like setting a large total for Australia to chase.
But Farrell's effort of 5-23 - which included only the third ever hat-trick in the 74-year history of women's Test cricket and four wickets in five balls - restricted Australia's run chase to 198.
After a slow and stuttering start to Australia's second innings Blackwell, 74, and Sarah Elliott, 81 not out, compiled a 114 run stand for the third wicket that put Australia well and truly on the
way to victory.
Fittingly it was Elliott who scored the winning runs, a leg glance down to fine leg for a single, as Australia secured an emotion-charged and much needed win.
England captain Charlotte Edwards' measured first innings knock of 114 not out had put the visitors in the box seat until Farrell's heroics turned the tide.
A gracious Edwards declared that Farrell's burst was the turning point in the fight for the Ashes that England have held since 2005.
"Rene Farrell really knocked the stuffing out of us," she said.
"It is obviously disappointing to lose the Ashes but it wasn't to be."
