The Australian Women's Register

The Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) is a feminist political organisation founded in 1972. It is a non-party-political and non-sectarian women’s lobby. Members of Canberra Women’s Liberation organised the first meeting of WEL-ACT in May 1972. WEL, which began in Melbourne, was to interview candidates for the Federal elections to be held later that year and publish the results. WEL-ACT was particularly active running public education campaigns on what mattered to women in the ACT and interviewing local candidates and sitting Members. Women had flocked to join WEL around Australia and 400 women attended the first National Conference held in Canberra in January 1973.

Over the years WEL-ACT played a major role in supporting the WEL National Office in Canberra and lobbying for national campaigns such as access to affordable childcare; the introduction of sex discrimination, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action legislation; and changes to industrial relations, taxation and economic policies. Locally members entered parliament and the public service. WEL-ACT provided support for those working for women in the bureaucracy, continued to lobby for local issues, such as the repeal of abortion laws, and continued to question candidates standing for election.

The YWCA was invited to Canberra by the Federal government in the mid 1920s and established itself there in 1929. While a separate organisation, from its establishment the YWCA of Canberra received significant support from the national and global Young Women’s Christian Association movement.

The organisation has grown with the local community, providing at first services focused on meeting the physical and spiritual needs of young women coming to work in the new city through the provision of hostel accommodation and recreational activities, such as singing, physical activities, skills development and leadership work. From these early activities, it developed into a community service for women and their families, responding to local and changing needs. The present organisation aims to contribute ‘practical feminism’, serving local communities, advocating for social change and assisting women to achieve their potential.

The ACT Women’s Basketball Association was formed in the early 1940s, with junior and senior teams from both the ACT and neighbouring New South Wales. In 1975, Netball ACT was admitted as a member of the All Australia Netball Association Limited (now Netball Australia). Netball ACT has several District Associations which are autonomous organisations with their own headquarters and netball courts, and is represented in the Australian Netball League by the Canberra Darters.

Formed in Canberra in 1984, the Capitals have won several Women’s National Basketball League titles under coaches Carrie Graf and Tom Maher. Many Capitals players have also played for the Australian Opals at Olympic level. The Capitals have enjoyed great commercial success, and maintain a grass roots relationship with the developing teams and players of the Canberra region.

Following preparatory work and approaches to government by the National Council of Women (ACT) and the Nursery Kindergarten Society, the Emergency Housekeeper Service commenced in Canberra in April 1947. A Committee of Management, chaired by the National Council of Women, was established in February 1947 with representatives from the Canberra Mothercraft Society, the Nursery Kindergarten Society and the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). An organising secretary, Ella Buttsworth, was appointed in March 1947. In July 1977, responsibility for providing the service passed to the ACT Division of the Australian Red Cross Society. With ACT self-government in 1989, Home Help Service ACT adopted its own constitution, becoming an incorporated association. It now operates as a community sector not-for-profit organisation that provides quality in-home support to the elderly and people with disabilities and their carers in the ACT, under the Home and Community Care Program and the Veterans’ Home Care Program.

WILPF ACT is a branch of the Australian Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom-the longest-surviving international women’s anti-war organisation.

The Canberra Branch is the oldest of four located in the Australian Capital Territory. All four belong to the Monaro Group of the Country Women’s Association of NSW. The Canberra Branch was founded in 1946. By March 1953 the members had raised enough funds to build their own rooms on the edge of what was then the Central Business District of Canberra. In the early 1980s high-rise office blocks were being built next to the rooms and the branch was able to negotiate the sale of its lease to a developer who provided the branch with a large area of the ground floor of a new building on Barry Drive. The branch provides education, health and social welfare support to its community with the funds it raises and through its crafts and cooking.

The Aboriginal Legal Service has its origins in police harassment of Aborigines living in the Sydney suburb of Redfern in the late 1960s. Reacting against what was perceived as a deliberate campaign of victimisation and intimidation, a group of young activists including Paul Coe, Isobel Coe, Gary Williams, Gary Foley and Tony Coorey began a surveillance operation against the local police force. By systematically documenting police behaviour towards the local Aboriginal community, the group gathered enough evidence to persuade Hal Wootten, then Dean of Law at the University of New South Wales, to assist them in setting up the Aboriginal Legal Service of New South Wales. The ALS was formally established in October 1970.

The New South Wales ALS served as an example for indigenous Australians in other States and Territories. The South Australian Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement was established in November 1971. In Victoria, activists from the Aborigines’ Advancement League helped to establish the Victorian Legal Service in June 1972 with assistance from law academics at Monash University. This replaced the ad hoc representation that the Aborigines’ Advancement League had often arranged for local Aboriginal people appearing before court. Queensland and Western Australia also established voluntary services in 1972, and there was an Aboriginal Legal Service in every State and Territory by 1974.

Although these legal services have worked closely with sympathetic professionals of non-Aboriginal descent, they were founded upon the principle of Indigenous self-determination and continue to uphold this principle as part of a continuing resistance to dispossession.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal was established under the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act (1975) and commenced operations on 1 July 1976. The Tribunal was set up to provide an independent review mechanism for administrative decisions made by Australian Government ministers, departments, agencies, and some other tribunals. In limited circumstances, the Tribunal also had powers to review administrative decisions made by state government and non-government bodies. The Tribunal also had some powers to review decisions made by the Norfolk Island Government.

On 13 May 2014 the Government announced that the Administrative Appeals Tribunal would be amalgamated with the Migration Review Tribunal, Refugee Review Tribunal, Social Security Appeals Tribunal and Classification Review Board with effect from 1 July 2015.

The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory was established by the Commonwealth Seat of Government Supreme Court Act, 1933. It commenced operation from 1 January 1934 as the superior court of record for matters originating in the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters (although matters involving less than $250 000 are usually brought in the Magistrates Court), and hears the most serious criminal matters.

Within the Australian court system it is one of eight state and territory Supreme Courts having unlimited jurisdiction in their respective parts of Australia. These Supreme Courts are second only to the High Court of Australia as the final court of appeal in the Australian judicial hierarchy.

Australian Women Lawyers (AWL) Limited is the peak body for women lawyers associations throughout Australia. The association was established on 9 September 1997, in Melbourne, Victoria.

Concerned primarily issues relating to the practice and advancement of women in the legal profession, AWL’s founding principals, as reflected in AWL’s inaugural Memorandum of Association, executed on 9 September, are to:

• achieve justice and equality for all women;
• further understanding and support for the legal rights of all women;
• identify, highlight and eradicate discrimination against women inherent in the legal system and in the community generally;
• advance equality for women in the legal profession;
• create and enhance awareness of women’s contribution to the practice and development of law;
• provide a professional and social network for women lawyers.

The founding patron of AWL was the Hon. Justice Mary Gaudron QC who was appointed to the position on 19 September 1997. She held the position until 20 February 2009. The first AWL President was Victorian QC, Alexandra Richards, who held the role for four years 1997-2001.

Incorporated in 1996 as a not-for-profit association, Victorian Women Lawyers (VWL) is the peak representative body of women lawyers in Victoria, and a recognised organisation of Australian Women Lawyers. Ms Deanne Weir was appointed first convenor.

One of VWL’s key objectives is to promote the understanding and support of women’s legal and human rights. We work to fulfil that objective through a variety of means, including by identifying, highlighting and eradicating discrimination against women in law and in the legal system, as well as by seeking to achieve justice and equality for all women.

The Women Lawyers’ Association of New South Wales was formally established in 1952, making it the first formal association of its kind in Australia. It’s key objectives, as set out in the constitution, were:

• to provide a common meeting ground for women lawyers;
• to foster the growth of a corporate spirit among women lawyers;
• to make suggestions and work for the reform of the law and the administration of the law particularly as affecting women and children;
• to assist with such movements for the advancement of women as the Association may from time to time decide;
• to participate as a body in matters of interest to the legal profession;
• such other objects as the association shall in general meeting from time to time decide.

The Women Lawyers’ Association of South Australia was incorporated in July 1998, although the need for a women’s association had been discussed well before then and was long in the making.

On 21st September 1988 a meeting was held at the Law Society to discuss forming a women lawyers group. Over 95 women attended and 60 more sent their apologies. This represented more than half of the women practising law at that time and clearly indicated that the concept of a women lawyers committee or group had considerable support.

The Women Lawyers Committee of the Law Society was formally established in April 1989. A volunteer committee took responsibility for running the section, which has continued to this day. Following the establishment of Australian Women Lawyers in 1997, the Women Lawyers Association of South Australia Inc. has operated as an independently incorporated body, although their activities remain intertwined with those of the Women Lawyers Committee of the Law Society.

The first meeting of Women Lawyers Association of Tasmania was held on 17 May 1976, and the association remained active until 1979, when meetings stopped for a short time. The organisation was reformed in 1985, following a meeting at Ross on 24 February 1985 when a motion was passed that the association was a viable proposition and should be continued.

The Women Lawyers Association of Tasmania was incorporated in 2002 and in 2008 the organisation changed its name to Tasmanian Women Lawyers.

In 1982, Vivien Payne, Antoinette (Toni) Kennedy, Diana Bryant, Anne Payne, Christine Wheeler, Rhonda Griffiths, Becky Vidler and Kim Rooney established the Women Lawyers’ Association of Western Australia (WLWA). Vivian Payne was its first president.

Since formation WLWA has actively lobbied for and achieved a number of changes in the legal profession, such as the introduction of flexible work practices, the inclusion of sexual harassment as a breach of the professional conduct rules, consultations with the State Government and the Chief Justice concerning appointments of Judges and Senior Counsel and the introduction of a model briefing policy to promote equal opportunities in briefing practices.

Sisters Inside Inc. is an independent community organisation that exists to advocate for the human rights of women in the criminal justice system, and to address gaps in the services available to them.

The Zonta Club of Brisbane was the first Zonta Club in Queensland. It was chartered on October 1, 1971.

In addition to supporting international projects through the Zonta International Foundation, the Zonta Club of Brisbane also supports a variety of local projects and awards.

The Federal Court of Australia was created by the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 and began to exercise its jurisdiction on 1 February 1977. It is a superior court of record and a court of law and equity. It sits in all capital cities and elsewhere in Australia from time to time.

The Court’s jurisdiction is broad, covering almost all civil matters arising under Australian Federal law and some summary and indictable criminal matters.

The Family Court is a superior court of record established by Parliament in 1975 under Chapter 3 of the Constitution and deals with more complex matters. These may include:

• Parenting cases including those that involve a child welfare agency and/or allegations of sexual abuse or serious physical abuse of a child (Magellan cases), family violence and/or mental health issues with other complexities, multiple parties, complex cases where orders sought having the effect of preventing a parent from communicating with or spending time with a child, multiple expert witnesses, complex questions of law and/or special jurisdictional issues, international child abduction under the Hague Convention, special medical procedures and international relocation.
• Financial cases that involve multiple parties, valuation of complex interests in trusts or corporate structures, including minority interests, multiple expert witnesses, complex questions of law and/or jurisdictional issues (including accrued jurisdiction) or complex issues concerning superannuation (such as complex valuations of defined benefit superannuation schemes).

It commenced operations on 5 January 1976 and consists of a Chief Justice, a Deputy Chief Justice and other judges.

The Northern Territory Local Court was established by the Local Court Act 2015. The Court hears criminal and civil matters. Among changes to be introduced in 2016, magistrates were renamed judges and the limit of civil claims was raised from $100,000 to $250,000.

The Northern Territory Women Lawyers’ Association was established in the 1980s.

Formally established in 2004, the Women Barristers Forum (WBF) is a section of the New South Wales Bar which was created to promote and support women at the New South Wales Bar.

Formed in 1993, the Women Barristers’ Association (WBA) is open to all members of the Victorian Bar to join. The Hon. Marilyn Warren AC, Chief Justice of Victoria, is the current patron of the WBA. The WBA’s aims are to:

• Provide a professional and social network for women barristers;
• Promote awareness, discussion and resolution of issues which particularly affect women;
• Identify, highlight and eradicate discrimination against women in law and in the legal system;
• Advance equality for women across the legal profession generally.

The Tasmania Law Reform Institute is Tasmania’s principal law reform body. Established on 23 July 2001 through a signed agreement between the State Government, the University of Tasmania and the Law Society of Tasmania, it is based in the Faculty of Law at the University’s Sandy Bay campus. Its functions include the review of laws with a view to:

• modernising the law;
• eliminating defects in the law;
• simplifying the law;
• consolidating any laws;
• repealing laws that are obsolete or unnecessary;
• creating uniformity between laws of other States and the Commonwealth.