Australian Women's National League
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The Australian Women's National League (AWNL) was an Australian political lobby group federation first established in 1904. It acted in many ways like a political party, with an extensive branch network and the capability to run its own candidates. It was a conservative organisation with four key declared objectives: * Loyalty to the Throne; * To counteract Socialist tendencies; * To educate the Women of Victoria to realise their political responsibilities; and * To Safeguard the Interests of the Home, Women and Children.


Foundation

The AWNL was supported in its foundation by the Victorian Employers' Federation and by employer bodies in other states, but it quickly became independent from those male-dominated groups, and formed an anti-socialist alliance with the Farmer's League in 1905. The group aimed to espouse anti-socialist ideas to Australian women who had been given the right to vote in Australian federal elections in 1902. Leading Melbourne establishment figure,
Janet, Lady Clarke Janet Marion Clarke (; 4 June 1851 – 28 April 1909) was an Australian socialite and philanthropist. She was known to the general public as Lady Clarke, a title which she assumed after her husband's elevation to the baronetage in 1882. Early ...
, held a meeting at her home in August 1903 to discuss the formation of such a conservative women's movement. Months later, in March 1904, Lady Clarke's sister, Eva Hughes, organised a meeting at the
Melbourne Town Hall Melbourne Town Hall is the central city town hall of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is a historic building in the state of Victoria since 1867. Located in the central business district on the northeast corner of the intersection between ...
. It chose a provisional committee and elected Lady Clarke as its inaugural president On 25 October 1907, the League conducted the first Pan-Australian Conference of Anti-Socialist Women's Organisations. The League played an important role in achieving
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
(right to vote) throughout Australia. By 1908, it had 10,000 members in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
alone, and helped convince the male conservative members of parliament that women voters would not necessarily be left-wing in disposition. In 1909, Lady Clarke died and was succeeded as president by her sister Eva who stayed in charge until 1922. In 1912, the Liberal prime minister
Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia. He was a leader of the movement for Federation, which occurred in 1901. During his three terms as prime ministe ...
described the lobby group as "fierce and unceasing" in their political demands. He continued "So far – singlehanded – I have beat them and kept them at bay, but how long can this last?" The ANWL was a very active organisation, with many suburban and rural branches. It published a monthly journal ''The Woman''. It ran many campaigns, including one for greater education in "domestic science". The League organised
Empire Day Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, since 1977 often held on the second Monday in March. It is marked by an Anglican service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by the monarch a ...
festivities in Melbourne for forty years and, during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, organised thousands of women to contribute to the war effort. In 1918, it launched "Baby Week" as an education campaign for families. It also conducted political education and training courses for its members, to make them more effective campaigners.


Peak of power

At its peak in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the AWNL had 500 registered branches and more than 54,000 members across Australia. Using its massive membership base as a platform for achieving its objectives, it was very active in electoral politics, initially supporting male candidates and forming an important part of conservative political efforts across Australia. They employed women as paid political organisers, raised large amounts of money, and actively supported candidates, who sometimes had to go through a preselection process to attract the League's support. Some years after women had obtained the right to vote and to run for office, most of the first women candidates in Western Australia,
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
,
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
and Victoria were members of the League. While they generally worked with conservative political parties, on occasion they did not. In one instance, when one of their favoured candidates in Queensland was not endorsed as they had demanded, they ran their own candidate,
Irene Longman Irene Maud Longman (; 24 April 1877 – 29 July 1964) was an Australian community worker and politician. She was the first woman elected to the Parliament of Queensland, representing the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Bulimba from 192 ...
, who became the first female member of the
Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...
in 1929. Actions such as these, the vast size of the League, and its highly-skilled political operatives, made it one of the most effective and feared political organisations in Australian politics at the time. Male journalists complained at the time about the power of the group: "Political godmothers rule UAP (
United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four federal elections in that time, usually governing in coalition with the Country Party. It provided two prim ...
) with haughty mien ... the political fate of the electorate was controlled by women."


Merger with the Liberals

In 1944, the AWNL actively supported the newly created
Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia, one of the two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-left Australian Labor Party. It was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United A ...
and merged with it in 1945. The League's leaders at the time – including Dame
Elizabeth Couchman Dame Elizabeth May Ramsay Couchman DBE (née Tannock; 19 April 1876 – 18 November 1982) was an Australian political activist. She was a co-founder of the Liberal Party of Australia. Biography She was born Elizabeth May Ramsay Tannock, the da ...
and future senator
Ivy Wedgwood Dame Ivy Evelyn Annie Wedgwood, (née Drury; 18 October 1896 – 24 July 1975) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Victoria from 1950 to 1971, representing the Liberal Party. She was the first woman to represent Victoria ...
– negotiated a tough deal with Sir
Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
which ensured that women were equally represented throughout the structures of the Liberal Party, long before the era of affirmative action. It was agreed that the Liberal Party would reserve certain positions for women, that there would be a Woman Vice-President of the party, and also a Federal Women's Committee, the president of which would also sit on the party's Federal Executive. Menzies regarded Couchman very highly and observed: "She would have been the best cabinet minister I could have wished for". Some argue that the League had a major impact on the Liberal Party's direction leading up to the election in 1949, which the party won convincingly. In a highly unusual move at the time, Liberal advertising specifically made reference to women and women's issues. Images of men and women (and in some cases of women alone) were used in political advertising for the first time on a major scale. Their opponents in the
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...
were largely silent on women's issues. Although the organisation had formally resolved to merge with the Liberal Party, some preferred to retain an autonomous group, which continued for a time with considerably reduced members and activity. In 2004, the Prime Minister of Australia,
John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
, spoke at a function commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the League, and paid tribute to its important role in the history of the Liberal Party and Australia.


Notable members

* Jessie Ackermann – social reformer * Marie Breen – Senator for Victoria (1962–1968) * Janet Clarke – philanthropist, inaugural AWNL President *
Elizabeth Couchman Dame Elizabeth May Ramsay Couchman DBE (née Tannock; 19 April 1876 – 18 November 1982) was an Australian political activist. She was a co-founder of the Liberal Party of Australia. Biography She was born Elizabeth May Ramsay Tannock, the da ...
– AWNL President (1927–1945) * Eleanor Glencross – activist * Eva Hughes – political organiser *
Enid Lyons Dame Enid Muriel Lyons (née Burnell; 9 July 1897 – 2 September 1981) was an Australian politician who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in federal cabinet. Prior to her own political ca ...
– wife of Prime Minister
Joseph Lyons Joseph Aloysius Lyons (15 September 1879 – 7 April 1939) was an Australian politician who served as the 10th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1932 until his death in 1939. He began his career in the Australian Labor Party (ALP), ...
, first woman elected to the House of Representatives (1943–1951) * Nellie Constance Martyn (1887–1926) Australian businesswoman, managing director of Steel Company of Australia * May Moss – AWNL Vice-President (1906–1914), National Council of Women President (1931–1936) *
Ivy Wedgwood Dame Ivy Evelyn Annie Wedgwood, (née Drury; 18 October 1896 – 24 July 1975) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Victoria from 1950 to 1971, representing the Liberal Party. She was the first woman to represent Victoria ...
– Senator for Victoria (1950–1971)


References

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External links



{{Authority control Political advocacy groups in Australia Liberal Party of Australia Women's wings of political parties Women's organisations based in Australia