The Australian Women's Register

The Carlton Refuge was established in 1854 with the aim of reforming prostitutes through a combination of prayer and hard work, which usually meant laundry work. As some prostitutes were also mothers, the care of single mothers became a way of fulfilling its primary goal. By 1860 its role had changed to accepting young unmarried women on their discharge from hospital and by 1880 the major part of the Refuge’s work was with those women. Declining demand and alternative means of care brought about its closure in 1949.

The Council of Action for Equal Pay (CAEP) functioned as a single issue pressure group with affiliates from trade unions and women’s organisations. Its primary aim was to agitate for the implementation of equal pay through the dissemination of information and to support individual organisations in their fight for equal pay. Its formation marked the first conscious movement for equal pay in Australia. Muriel Heagney, a strong advocate of ‘the rate for the job’ was influential in its establishment and was the driving force of the organisation as its honorary secretary-treasurer from 1939 until its demise.

In response to the perceived needs of the ‘deserving poor’, the Melbourne Ladies Benevolent Society (MLBS) began operations as the Presbyterian Female Visiting Society in August 1845. By 1851, it was known as the MLBS, and retained that name until 1964, when it became the Melbourne Ladies’ Welfare Society. The Society supplied food, clothing and other necessities to the respectable poor at home, particularly women in the Fitzroy and surrounding areas. The MLBS was acknowledged as Melbourne’s principal relieving agency and played a major role in dispensing social service benefits until the 1940s, when the Commonwealth Government assumed a greater responsibility for social welfare.

Officially founded in 1902, with Janet Lady Clarke as president, and continuing today, the National Council of Women of Victoria is an umbrella organisation for a large and diverse number of affiliated Victorian women’s groups. It functions as a political lobby group, attempting to influence local, state and federal government. Like all National Councils of Women, it operates though a standing committee system whereby specific issues are brought before the Council and, if there is general agreement that a question should be taken up, a subcommittee is established to investigate the matter.
Until the 1940s at least, the Council was a major focal point for women’s activism.

Its initial aims were:
1. To establish a bond of union between the various affiliated societies.
2. To advance the interests of women and children and of humanity in general.
3. To confer on questions relating to the welfare of the family, the State and the Commonwealth.’

While encompassing a diverse range of organisations, the Council emerged as a largely middle-class women’s organisation especially in terms of its office bearers.

Although not always an overtly feminist organisation, the NCWV drew on the conviction that women had a special contribution to make to public life and the formulation of social policy. They were thus concerned with a wide array of social reform issues** as well as those more directly related to the legal and social status of women. It also drew on notions of gender unity and international sisterhood.

[Kate Gray, ‘The Acceptable Face of Feminism: the National Council of Women, 1902-1918’, MA thesis, University of Melbourne, 1988.]

The National Council of Women of Queensland is an umbrella organisation for a large and diverse number of affiliated Queensland women’s groups. It functions as a political lobby group, attempting to influence local, state and federal government.

Its aims are:
• ‘To unite associations and societies of women, or of men and women, into an organisation for mutual counsel and co-operation.
• To advance the interests of humanity, and to confer in questions relating to the welfare of the family, State and Commonwealth.
• To join with the National Councils of Women of other Australian States and Territories to form the National Council of Women of Australia which, in turn, is a member of the International Council of Women. (ICW)’

Founded in 1939, with Mrs Henrietta (Jessie) Daley as president, the National Council of Women of the Australian Capital Territory operates as an umbrella organisation for women’s groups in the Territory. It functions as a political lobby group, attempting to influence local, state and federal government.

Its eight initial affiliated societies were the Canberra Mothercraft Society, Canberra Relief Society, St John’s Church of England Ladies Guild, Presbyterian Church Ladies Guild, Canberra community Hospital Auxiliary, Canberra Croquet Club, Women’s Hockey Association and the Young Women’s Christian Association. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was another early member.

Some of its earliest issues of concern included censorship of films shown to children; offensive advertising; liquor trade reform; misbehaviour at the local swimming pool and the better provision of housing and other facilities in Canberra.

It was centrally involved in the foundation of institutions and services including the District Nursing Service, the Council of Social Service (ACT), the Child Guidance Clinic as well as services for the elderly.

It is affiliated with the National Council of Women Australia.

The Temporary Teachers’ Club was formed in October 1955 in response to pressure from the increasing numbers of qualified married women teachers who felt that marriage should not be a bar to permanent employment in the Victorian state teaching service. As a section of the Victorian Teachers’ Union, it maintained pressure on that organisation to negotiate with the Victorian Government to legislate for the removal of the marriage bar. It could claim qualified success when appropriate legislation was passed in October 1956.

The National Council for the Single Mother and her Child (NCSMC), established in 1973, evolved from the Victorian based Council for the Single Mother and her Child, which was formed in 1970 to advocate on behalf of single mothers and their children. Embracing the concept of self-help, it campaigned successfully for the introduction of a Supporting Mothers’ Benefit, and supported single mothers who kept their children. The national body campaigned to abolish the legal construct of illegitimacy and to establish family courts to deal with affiliation proceedings and maintenance and custody rights. It continues to fight for the essential rights of all sole parent families.

Incorporated as an association in October 1985 the Australian Women’s Army Service Association (Victoria) Inc. was originally established during the 1950’s. At that time a loose-knit group of ex-service members of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), under the leadership of Colonel Sybil Irving MBE, formed a Re-union committee.

The Association still follows the initial aims of the committee which are to arrange reunions and to further the fellowship and interests of ex-service members of the Australian Women’s Army Service, the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps and the female members of the Australian Military Forces.

Each August the Association conducts a reunion luncheon. Also a group known as the R & R Group arrange a monthly outing – usually to some place of interest followed by lunch that is easily accessed by public transport. Four times a year all financial members receive a newsletter, which disseminates information regarding outings, financial matters etc.

The AWAS Association (Vic.) was a leader in the formation of the Council of Ex-Servicewomen’s Associations (Vic.) Inc., bringing delegates from all the war-time women’s services together with the peace-time services.

Australian Women’s Army Service Association (WA) Inc. was formed in Perth, Western Australia 1947. It was originally established to extend welfare assistance, promote social gatherings and foster goodwill to former members of the Australian Women’s Army Service, especially by way of annual reunions. As the need arose the Association become involved with pension and aged care assistance.

The Women Justices’ Association of Victoria was formed in Melbourne on 30 June 1938 with the aim of uniting women justices, women special magistrates and women commissioners for the taking of affidavits throughout Victoria, all honorary appointments, ‘in a bond of mutual help and support’. It worked to increase the number of appointments of women and to encourage those women to exercise their privileges. It remained active until 1971 when declining numbers, the result of fewer women available for voluntary work, forced it reconsider its role. In 1972 it reformed to become the Australian branch of the International Association of Youth Magistrates.

The Women Principals Association (Victoria), as it was known from the late 1960s, was formed in July 1940 as the Association of Head Mistresses of Girls’ Schools. Its membership comprised the Head Mistresses of the thirteen government girls’ schools in existence at that time. It aimed ‘to discuss topics of general educational interest and particularly matters bearing directly on girls’ schools and their organisation’. It advocated strongly for the interests of students in girls’ schools to ensure that they enjoyed the same conditions and opportunities as students in boys or co-educational high schools. In the 1970s it vigorously defended the retention of girls’ schools in the state education system.

The Victorian Medical Women’s Society (VMWS), the pioneer medical women’s organisation in Australia, was founded in 1896 as the Women’s Medical Association, at the University of Melbourne Medical School. It was established to forge a closer relationship between medical women graduates and undergraduates and to promote the interests of medical women and further their professional development by education, research and improvement of professional opportunities.
By 1898 it had evolved into a postgraduate society, with meetings held in the consulting rooms of members. In 1927 it formed part of the Australian Federation of Medical Women. It continues to promote the health and welfare of all Australians, in particular women and children.

It promotes the health and welfare of all Australians, in particular women and children.

The National Council of Women of Western Australia was founded in 1911, largely due to the efforts of Lady Edeline Strickland (wife of the Governor of Western Australia) who became its first president. It is a non-party, non-sectarian, umbrella organisation for a large and diverse number of affiliated women’s groups in Western Australia.

It functions as a political lobby group, attempting to influence local, state and federal government. The Council has supported a wide range of social reform activities, particularly those related to education and to women’s, children’s and family welfare. While not an overtly feminist organisation, it provided a major focus for, predominantly middle-class, women’s activism until at least the 1940s. Unlike many other states, however, the Council had strong competition from the Women’s Service(s) Guild of Western Australia for leadership of the women’s movement.

Its initial aims were:
1. ‘To establish a bond of union between the various affiliated societies.
2. To advance the interests of women and children and of humanity in general.
3. To confer on questions relating to the welfare of the family, the State and the Commonwealth.’