Delmi Tucker and Chloe Tryon both made impressive half-centuries, making it difficult for the home team to secure a victory.
Australia's versatile and talented attack defeated a determined South Africa, who put up a belated fight, to achieve a comprehensive Test victory at the WACA on day three.
Despite being challenged in tight T20I and ODI series victories, Australia's experience in red-ball cricket proved to be the deciding factor as they won the inaugural multi-series between the teams 12-4.
Australia's attack had to work hard against some tough batting on a surface that flattened as the match progressed, but their bowling depth was impressive, with six bowlers taking wickets in South Africa's second innings total of 215.
Captain Alyssa Healy fielded eight bowlers, including all-rounder Annabel Sutherland, who finished with five wickets for the match. She also scored a historic double century.
Debutant Delmi Tucker and Chloe Tryon helped extend the match longer than expected with maiden Test half-centuries as South Africa regained some respectability after a torrid introduction to Test cricket against Australia.
Tucker, Tryon, and debutant Tazmin Brits each faced over 100 deliveries as South Africa batted for 97.2 overs. This was a marked improvement on their meagre first innings of 31.2 overs.
Having been bowled out for 76 on the first day, their lowest ever Test score, South Africa was in danger of a humiliating defeat within two days when they crashed to 13 for 3.
South Africa resumed their second innings at 67 for 3. Brits and Tucker were looking to continue their rearguard action after their half-century stand late on the second day.
With Australia's seamers targeting dangerous length outside off-stump in warm conditions, Brits looked tentative. Darcy Brown's extra pace proved to be a problem, and she was unlucky not to take a wicket when she was caught just short of second slip.
She also had Tucker top-edged over wicketkeeper Healy, but the batsmen settled down on a sun-baked surface that offered little movement. They scooped up the rare loose delivery and were untroubled by the short deliveries that came off the wicket relatively slowly compared to earlier in the match.
Tucker had a couple of anxious moments as she approached her half-century. She missed a pull shot from Ellyse Perry which was caught by Alana King running back from square leg. Tucker regained her composure and brought up her half-century with the next delivery. Healy refrained from using her three frontline spinners and was rewarded for her faith in the seamers. Perry ended the 96-run partnership after Brits edged low to the second slip. Replays confirmed that Phoebe Litchfield had her fingers under the ball.
Australia were made to wait as Tryon hit through the off-side with a mix of power and finesse. The original meaning and quotes have been preserved while improving clarity, conciseness, formality, precision, structure, professional vocabulary, and grammatical correctness. No changes in content have been made.
Healy eventually resorted to spin, which almost paid off when Sophie Molineux, playing her first international since the end of 2021, had Tryon edged inside to her pad, but Healy dropped a hard chance just before lunch.
Gardner and King were given a rousing ovation on their home ground as they joined the attack in the 42nd over, bowling well in tandem after lunch and finding turn and bounce. They tied up Tryon with four fielders around the bat as the runs came to a halt.
Tucker succumbed to the pressure and was dismissed by extra bounce, chipping a return catch that Gardner took well. Despite her disappointment, Tucker received a strong ovation from the crowd for her innings of 64 off 180 balls in four hours at the crease.
King missed out on her first wicket of the match when Mooney dropped a straightforward catch at slip, giving Tryon a reprieve. Tryon capitalised on the opportunity and soon after reached her half-century.
An Australian victory was inevitable. Sutherland ended the match memorably by clean bowling Tryon, with hometown hero King taking the final wicket to mark Test cricket's return to the WACA.