The Australian Women's Register

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 Association began in 1946 and was founded by Miss Gwen Stark (later Caldwell). The ex-WAAAF joined the RAAFA (New South Wales Division) as associate members and in 1947 were accepted with full membership.

The Australian Women’s Army Service Association (NSW) was established in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1948 for the purpose of organising an Australian Women’s Army Service reunion. This became an annual event held at various venues and organised by a number of committees over the years.

The War Widows’ Guild Of Australia was established in Victoria by the late Mrs Jessie Mary Vasey CBE, OBE. The broad aims of the Guild were to watch over and protect the interests of war widows. Qualification for membership of the Guild was restricted to widows of men who were killed on active service or whose deaths were accepted as being war-caused and were therefore in receipt of a war widow’s pension. Later, widows of interned civilians who received a repatriation war widows’ pension were included, as were widows of allied ex-servicemen.

In June 1946, following the establishment of a War Widows’ Craft Guild in Victoria, a Guild was formed in New South Wales.

The purpose of the Guild was to enable war widows in NSW to live their lives with dignity and support to meet their ongoing and emerging needs.

With the setting-up of the Guild, craft work got under way almost immediately, commencing with sock and glove-making classes. By November, the guild shop was opened in Rowe Street, to sell craft goods made by members and other saleable goods. Although Victoria was planning a guild shop, NSW was first to establish one. The NSW Guild closed its handicraft school in December 1951 and sold the equipment to members, but the shop was to remain open, a good money-spinner for the Guild, until September 1960. [1]

From 1953 to 1988, the Guild in NSW built 13 blocks of units at nine locations. After selling two housing properties, at the time of writing (April 2003) the Guild provides a total of 198 self-care, one-bedroom units of retirement housing in seven Sydney locations.

In 2002 and 2003, President Marie Beach and Chief Executive Officer Patricia Campbell represented The War Widows’ Guild of NSW Inc. on the Women in War Project working group.

The Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps was formed from the Royal Australian Army Nursing Service and the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service. Since being established members of the service have served in many theatres of war and other operations including Vietnam, the 1991 Gulf War, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bougainville and East Timor.

The Sydney & Metropolitan Ex-Prisoners of War Welfare Association was established in 1999 after the NSW Ex-Prisoner of War (POW) Association and the NSW Ex-Prisoner of War (POW) Ladies Auxiliary were disbanded.

The main objectives of the Association are to:
• affirm and promote loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen and the Commonwealth of Australia.
• protect and promote the interests of Ex-Prisoners of War, their spouses, and widows of Ex-Prisoners of War.
• promote friendship and good fellowship between members by way of meetings, visitations and welfare where necessary.
• collect, raise money and receive donations for the carrying out of these objects or for any charitable purpose or for the benefit directly or indirectly of Ex-Prisoners of War, their spouses, and widows of Ex-Prisoners of War.

Membership of the Association is open to any person who was a member of the New South Wales Ex-Prisoners of War Association Inc, or who would have been eligible to become a member. Members of the Ladies Auxiliary of the New South Wales Ex-Prisoners of War Association Inc, or any person who is a spouse or widow of an Ex-Prisoner of War, can make an application to become a member.

Members have regularly visited patients in their homes, nursing homes and hospitals, especially the Concord Repatriation Hospital (now Concord General Hospital). They have also involved themselves in specific projects such as obtaining special patient chairs for the Concord Repatriation Hospital or furniture for the Rose Garden at the hospital. These acquisitions were made with the help of members’ fundraising activities including selling of poppies, Remembrance Day and Anzac Badges as well as running trade tables, garage sales and garden parties.

The Australian Army Nursing Service, which was actually a reserve, was established on 1 July 1902. The Service was staffed by volunteer civilian nurses who would be available for duty during times of national emergency. Members of the Service served in both the World Wars, staffing medical facilities in Australia and overseas. In 1949 the Service became part of the Australian Regular Army and is now known as the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC).

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The Australian Army Medical Women’s Service (AAMWS) was established in December 1942. At that stage it was decided to distinguish between Voluntary Aid Detachments, whose governing body was the Joint State Council in each State and the Joint Central Council (the Commonwealth authority), and Voluntary Aids who were serving at Military Hospitals on a full-time basis under Army control. [1]

Author Patsy Adam-Smith, herself a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) who joined the AAMWS, states in Australian Women at War:

From that date [December 1942], the Service’s officers and soldiers were subject to military law and to the provisions of the Defence Act, the Army Act and the Rules of Procedure…’The majority of the original recruits for the AAMWS were drawn from the ranks of the Voluntary Aid Detachments, and the experience they already had was of great benefit in their work in military hospitals, both home and overseas.’

In July 1949 the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service became part of the Regular Army. Two years later The Service was disbanded and its duties were incorporated into the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.

[1] Australian Women at War p. 194 and From Blue to Khaki p. 50

When established, the aim of the Ex-AAMWS (Australian Army Medical Women’s Service) Association of New South Wales Inc. was to maintain friendships formed during World War II as well as assisting members in whatever way possible. This includes the dissemination of information about pensions and benefits through their quarterly publication Pulse. Members also support a range of charities, care for frail members and participate in marches, wreath laying ceremonies and reunions.

In 1946 the Women’s Services Sub-Branch of the Returned and Services League (RSL) received its Charter.

Membership to the League is open to:
• Those who served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in either of the two World Wars
• or in any theatre of conflict; or served overseas for not less than six months as a member of an approved peace-keeping force;
• or served for not less than six months in the regular or reserve forces of the ADF,
• or of any country not an enemy of Australia (shorter service can also qualify if discharge was honourable and for reasons beyond an individual’s control);
• or if you are an Australian or allied citizen and served with or in support of the ADF or allied forces in any theatre or conflict;
• or served during World War II, as a member of the Australian Women’s Land Army or as a member of a Voluntary Aid Detachment in a military or convalescent hospital. [1]

[1] http://www.rslnsw.com.au/index.cfm?page=237

The Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps Association was formed in New South Wales in 1977, following a visit to Australia by HRH Princess Margaret. Colonel-in-Chief (1953-1984) of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC), HRH Princess Margaret visited many parts of Australia in 1975. She observed a WRAAC Parade at Victoria Barracks New South Wales in October that year.

Established after a reunion, the association aims to provide contact and disseminate information to its members. This is achieved through quarterly meetings (March/ May/ August/ November) and a newsletter, Best Times, produced by the New South Wales Association.

The Council of Ex-Servicewomen’s Associations (NSW) was established in Sydney, New South Wales on 20 January 1975, as a vehicle for uniting and representing the many wartime service women who served Australia.

The Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) was established in April 1941 when the Royal Australian Navy enrolled 14 women at HMAS Harman, the wireless telegraphy station near Canberra. It was a non-combat branch of the Royal Australian Navy that, like many of its sister services created during the Second World War, alleviated manpower shortages resulting from men being assigned to combat roles.

WRANS performed a variety of duties, including working as telegraphists, coders and clerks; but also as drivers, education officers, mechanics, harbour messengers, cooks and sickberth attendants. They worked for intelligence organisations and as domestic staff at Government House, Yarralumla.

The Service was temporarily disbanded in 1948, but was re-formed in 1951 to help the RAN cope with manpower shortages. By 1959 the organisation was incorporated as a non-combatant (and thus non-seagoing) part of the permanent naval forces.

Women were permitted to serve aboard Australian naval ships in 1983, which meant that WRANS personnel were fully integrated into the Royal Australian Navy. This being the case, 1984 the WRANS was permanently disbanded.

The Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) was established in April 1951 to help overcome a manpower shortage. During the late 1970s female soldiers began to be integrated into the Army at large and in early 1985, the WRAAC was disbanded. The last Officers’ Cadet School parade (6 December 1984) on the WRAAC School parade ground saw the Officer Cadets and the WRAAC Contingent marching to the strains of “Soldiers of the Queen”. Prior to the formal closing of the gates the WRAAC School flag was ceremoniously lowered and slow marched “off”, to be folded and handed over to the Chief Instructor of the WRAAC School for safe keeping. The gates, which had been repainted for the occasion, were then closed by Major Diane McVicker of the WRAAC School and Mrs Gwen Ellis – sister of Colonel Best.

The WRAAC Prayer was also included in the ceremony:

Almighty God, we ask you to reveal yourself in the fullness of your love to all who reach out to you. Help us to recognise ourselves as your children. Let the day soon dawn when we will allow your love to right every wrong.

Give us the courage and self control to play our part as members of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps to help your kingdom come on earth. Lead us in the pathway of life as your own wisdom and love see best: we are anxious only to do your will.

We ask you to give us the grace to rise above temptation, to be patient when tired, to be kind and helpful towards others.

To all members of our Army grant the special blessing that we need. Preserve us from selfishness. Bless every member of our Corps, our families and friends.

We come to you as children to our Father, asking these and all other blessing, in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

On 28 June 1963 a Steering Foundation Committee was formed to set up an association for members who had served in the WRANS. The Ex-Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service was established on 20 September 1963.

The Association aims to provide social contact and to look after the welfare of members through self-help funding.

Membership of the Association is available to any female who served with the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) as well as female Navy sailors since 1985.

At the end of the World War II (the last wartime WRAN was discharged in 1948) ex-personnel set about re-establishing their lives in peacetime. For many this involved raising a family. By 1963, almost 20 years after the war’s end, a group of ‘girls’ found that there was still a common bond (from the war years) between them and decided to place an advertisement in the North Shore Times about plans to start an association.

Once established, monthly meetings were held, for many years, at “Johnny’s” Naval House at Grosvenor Street Sydney. The area known as the ground floor “Snake Pit” and the “Wrannery” on the first floor were popular meeting places. An open invitation was extended to ‘country girls’ to attend meetings when they were in Sydney.

During the 1980s Johnny’s Naval House was refurbished and now houses the Sydney Futures Exchange. Meetings were moved to the Gallipoli Club and later the City of Sydney RSL. Meetings are still held here on the second Friday of each month, 3rd Floor, City of Sydney RSL, 565 George St at 1300 hrs. Any Ex-Wran, or serving sailor is most welcome.

The Association produces a magazine (six times per year) The ‘Ditty Box’ through which information is disseminated. Members are advised of the changes in conditions/benefits and entitlements available from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Also listed are social functions and news, as well as changes to the contact registry.

On 27 July 1942, the Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA) was established as a national organisation, reporting to the Director-General of Manpower. The aim of the AWLA was to replace the male farm workers who had either enlisted in the armed services or were working in other essential war work such as munitions. The AWLA was not an enlisted service, but rather a voluntary group whose members were paid by the farmer, rather than the government or military forces. Membership of the AWLA was open to women who were British subjects and between the ages of 18 and 50 years. Housed in hostels in farming areas, members were given formal farming instruction and were initially supplied with uniform, bedding etc. Members were not engaged in domestic work rather they undertook most types of work involved with primary industries. The organisation was to be formally constituted under the National Security Regulations, but a final draft of the National Security (Australian Women’s Land Army) Regulations was not completed until 1945, and did not reach the stage of promulgation due to cessation of hostilities and the decision to demobilize the Land Army. [1] A ‘Land Army’ was established in each state and administered that state’s rural needs, though some members were sent interstate when available. In September 1945 it was decided that complete demobilization of the Australian Women’s Land Army would take effect not later than 31 December 1945.

The Army Nursing Service Reserve was established in 1899 and attached to the New South Wales Army Medical Corps. This was the first official female army nurses’ organisation in the Australian colonies. Nurse Nellie Gould was appointed lady superintendent of the Reserve. On the 17 January 1900 Nurse Gould left with thirteen nursing sisters to serve in the Boer War as part of the British Army. The nursing contingent returned to Australia in 1902. The Reserve was replaced by the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS), that was formed post Federation.

The Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the first and largest of the World War II Australian Women’s Services. It was disbanded in December 1947.

A new Australian women’s air force was formed in July 1950 and in November became the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF). The WRAAF was disbanded in 1977 and female personnel were absorbed into the mainstream RAAF. Australia’s first female air force pilots graduated in 1988 and today, with the exception of the airfield defence units, there are few jobs within the RAAF barred to women.

At the end of the World War II, surplus funds were divided between the different state Women’s Land Army groups. New South Wales was allocated 500 pounds. A group of ‘girls’ who had worked at the New South Wales Australian Women’s Land Army Headquarters, established a committee. Aileen Lynch former AWLA superintendent in NSW suggested that the money be placed in an account which would be used to establish a club to further the interests of all ex-members of the AWLA in welfare, training and advisory capacity. The club was to have a city base where the girls could continue their wartime friendship and arrange return visits to the country centres where they had worked. [1]

[1] Scott, Jean. Girls with Grit p. 157

The Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors was founded in 1902 by women who had been students at the Art School of the National Gallery of Victoria, to provide a forum for artistic discussion and an opportunity to view and comment on each other’s work.

Originally named the Students’ Art Club, it became “Woomballana” (meaning either ‘everlasting beauty’ or ‘search for beauty’) Art Club, The Women’s Art Club, the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and finally, in 1954, the present title was adopted.

The Invergowrie Foundation is a public charitable trust. The primary focus of the Foundation is to promote and advance the education of girls and women within Victoria. The Foundation is administered by twelve Trustees. They are responsible for maintaining the assets and distributing annually the surplus funds to promote and advance education in Victoria.

The Committee consisted of undergraduate representatives of the Faculties, one member representing the Professors’ wives and another representing the University staff. It arranged social functions to raise money for the University.

(Source: Historical Note University of Melbourne Archives)