Women’s Liberation (Canberra) Collection - NJSN_AC-028 1969 - 1982
Women's Liberation (Canberra, A.C.T.)
June 1970
creator
women
text
monographic
eng
0.09 linear metres Paper ½ x T1 (H)25cm x (W)09cm x (D)40cm box
ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
The Canberra Women’s Liberation (WL) Canberra group began somewhat informally in June 1970. Two women from Sydney gave an address on women’s liberation to eight female anti-Vietnam War activists in Canberra. The idea of liberation motivated the group to meet weekly to examine the theme of women’s subjugation as it applied to them. Initially meetings were held at Canning Street, Ainslie in a house shared by two of the original members of the group. Later weekly meetings took place in three different private houses until they moved to Bremer Street Griffith in 1972. In 1974 Women’s House was established in a government owned house at Lobelia Street O’Connor where meetings continued there until 1976. Other women’s groups such as Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) and the Abortion Counselling Service shared these premises. Members researched topics such as education, the nuclear family, femininity and psychology adopting a subversive approach to conservative texts. New members were recruited, their ages ranging from twenty to forty. They were generally students, young academics, and teachers. Some from the older age group were aged fifty or older, including a woman who was over seventy. WL (Canberra) grew very quickly from the original eight members to about twenty [Shulamith Wollstonecraft, ‘Canberra women’s liberation’ in Barbara Caine (General Editor) 1998 “Australian Feminism a companion”, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, p.395-6].
WL (Canberra) created much attention and captured the interest of the media. Members were asked to speak to the public. They spoke to organisations such as the Humanist Society, Rotary, Schools and Women’s Service Clubs. As they were not used to public speaking, the speakers appeared in groups of two for support. After the first public meeting in 1970, meeting attendances rose. Sometimes up to fifty women attended a meeting.
Although the group was unstructured with no formal membership, minutes of the meetings were kept. Women enrolled on a mailing list and volunteered to do jobs. The collective approach was used when dealing with the press. Women took turns at speaking to the media and eventually the nom de plume of ‘Shulamith Wollstonecraft’ was used. A monthly newsletter was printed; volunteers ran information stalls in Canberra’s Civic Centre: Women’s International Day was celebrated with street theatre and speeches. WL (Canberra) organised three major conferences and met with other WL groups.
They were a unified body involved in the formation of other women’s groups within the public service, a women’s teacher group, and a campus group at the Australian National University (ANU) [‘The Movement in Canberra’, Report, June 1972, p.6-7]. In the form of off-shoot collectives, WL Canberra was involved in consciousness raising activities, family planning, the first women’s refuge collective, women’s films, creative writing, submission writing, and a community childcare centre. WL (Canberra) harboured a draft dodger, as well as protected women from domestic violence [Shulamith Wollstonecraft, op cit, p.396).
After the move from Bremer Street in 1974 much of the original membership dwindled. Many of central WL (Canberra) meetings were held in Lobelia Street, O’Connor. Many of the original members had been attracted to other feminist interests and they attended meetings irregularly. Some, such as the Red Fems, formed small discussion groups that meet in private homes. WEL and the Abortion Counselling Service continued the efficient management of Women’s House using it for their meetings. Finally the WL newsletter was discontinued but the ideas of feminism remained. ‘The movement had grown not in the way we imagined but beyond our dreams’ [‘Canberra women’s liberation’ in Barbara Caine (General Editor) 1988 “Australian Feminist a companion”, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, pp.395-6].
ARRANGEMENT OF CONTENTS:
Box 0020
Series 1 File 15
Series 2 File 16
Series 3 File 17
Series 4 File 18
Series 5 File 19
Series 6 File 20
Series 7 File 21
Series 8 File 22
Series 9 File 23
RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION:
Reproduction rights are owned by Jessie Street National Women's Library. Material may be saved or printed for private research, however, if it is to be used for any other purpose, a ‘Request Permission to Publish’ form should be completed.
RESTRICTIONS ON PHYSICAL ACCESS:
Available for research. Not for loan.
CREATION / PRODUCTION CREDITS
Library permission and acknowledgement required.
RESTRICTIONS ON REPRODUCTION
Library permission and acknowledgement is required to copy material for research purposes.
DATE OF ACQUISITION:
17 May 1999.
9 x files
LANGUAGE:
English.
Women's Liberation (Canberra, A.C.T.)
Women's rights
Canberra (A.C.T.)
feminism
RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLICATION:
Reproduction rights are owned by Jessie Street National Women's Library. Material may be saved or printed for private research, however, if it is to be used for any other purpose, a ‘Request Permission to Publish’ form should be completed.
RESTRICTIONS ON PHYSICAL ACCESS:
Available for research. Not for loan.
RESTRICTIONS ON REPRODUCTION
Library permission and acknowledgement is required to copy material for research purposes.
JSNWL
180813
20190522050801.0
NJSN_AC-028