The Australian Women's Register

The Victorian Teachers’ Union (VTU) was established in 1926 following negotiations between the Victorian State School Teachers’ Union, the Victorian High School Teachers’ Union and the Victorian Technical Teachers’ Union.

The Melbourne Women’s Walking Club was formed in 1922 by a group of young women excluded from the men-only Melbourne Walking Club. The Club pioneered treks with packhorses supplied by the mountain cattlemen who also acted as guides. In 1936 three members walked the Barry Mountains, the first women to do so.

Over the years their dress changed from long skirts to short skirts to riding breeches (then the only acceptable form of trousers for women). Finally in the 1930s they defied all conventions by wearing specially tailored shorts. World War 2 curtailed activities and led to a decline in the 1950s, but the club rallied and grew again. Later, groups began to travel further afield, both interstate and overseas. Recently there has been an influx of new members and the club continues to provide a wide variety of activities.

In March 2000, the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) established the Australian Women’s Archives Project (AWAP) in order to support the preservation of Australian women’s archival resources. The project is a joint venture with the University of Melbourne, with staff in the School of Historical Studies providing assistance in the area of historical research, and the eScholarship Research centre providing technical innovation and support.

The ANU Club for Women Inc was established in 1961 by the Vice Chancellor’s wife, Lady Molly Huxley. It was formed to provide support to the families of academics, staff, and visitors coming to the University.

Originally membership of the Club consisted mostly of wives of academics, past Vice Chancellors’ wives and professional officers of the ANU. Today, however, members include all staff, as well as those who have a close association with the ANU.

The Club has various sub-groups, including: the Monday Group; the Bushwalking Group, the Morning Book Reading Group; and the Evening Book Reading Group.

Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) was established in numerous New South Wales towns in 2001, with public meetings in Bowral and Armidale. Further public meetings were held in Cootamundra and Lismore and groups were launched in Orange and Goulburn. RAR then spread to Victoria, followed by other Australian states.

The group was originally founded by Anne Coombs, Susan Varga and Helen McCue.

RAR consists of Australian citizens living in rural and regional areas who aim to change Australia’s policy on refugees and asylum seekers towards a more humane approach.

Today RAR:
– Aims to raise public awareness of the issues involving asylum seekers and refugees
– Writes letters to newspapers and politicians
– Meets members of parliament to challenge inhumane policies
– Provides practical help to local refugees
– Fundraises for asylum seekers and refugees
– Attends rallies and vigils

The Catholic Women’s League of Narrabundah was founded in 1960.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Soroptimists work at all levels of civil society, local, national and international, and are involved with a wide spectrum of women’s concerns.

The South Canberra Branch of Soroptimist International was inaugurated in February 1971 and ceased operation in 2001.

The Pakies Club was founded in 1929 by Mrs Augusta (‘Pakie’) MacDougall, wife of theatre director Duncan MacDougall. The club operated on two floors at 219 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, and was a meeting place for artists and writers.

The café, a Little bit of Paris, boasted colourful modernist décor and was known for monthly ‘international’ nights featuring aspects of the culture and cuisine of a particular country.

A journal entitled Urgewas produced by Club members between 1933 and 1935.

UN Women National Committee Australia (formerly the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Australia Inc.) was established in 1991. The committee exists to raise funds for, and awareness of, UN Women’s work in the Pacific and around the world.

Playworks was established in 1985 and identified itself as the national women’s performance writing network. The aim of the organisation was to increase the number of women writing for performance. In late 2006 the Australia Council for the Arts consolidated both Playworks and the Australian National Playwrights Centre (ANPC) and a new organisation, PlayWriting Australia, was established.

The Women’s Union Committee of the ACT was formed in 1976 and promoted the role of women and their interest in unions. Some of the Committee’s key areas of activity included petitioning for anti-sex discrimination laws to be introduced into the ACT, increased funding for child care and new child care centres.

As its name suggests, the Federal District Women’s Bowling Association Past Presidents’ Association is comprised of the past presidents of the Federal District Women’s Bowling Association. The Association held its inaugural bowling match on Thursday 14 February, 1957.

In March 1942 the Australian Government passed the National Security (Employment of Women) Regulations which established the Women’s Employment Board (WEB). ‘The aim of the WEB was to encourage and regulate the employment of women in work usually performed by men’ during the Second World War. ‘From 1942 to 1944 the WEB set the wages, hours and conditions of over 70,000 female workers in Australian industries’ (Larmour, 1975).