The Women's Service Guilds (WSG), initially known as the Women's Service Guilds of Western Australia, was an organising body of the

feminist movement The feminist movement (also known as the women's movement, or feminism) refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for Radical politics, radical and Liberalism, liberal reforms on women's issues created by the inequality b ...

in Australia. Founded in 1909, they integrated the campaigns for improved status and welfare of women and children nationally and with overseas organisations.

History

The recently federated state of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

was the second Australian state to grant most women a vote in government elections. Many existing and incipient organisations moved to capitalise on the

emancipation of women Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

and Women's Service Guilds (WSG) sought to co-ordinate the political actions of these organisations. Despite a 'conservative' membership, similar to the

Country Women's Association The Country Women's Association (CWA) is the largest regional and rural advocacy group in Australia. It comprises seven independent State and Territory Associations, who are passionate advocates for country women and their families, working ...

(CWA) or later

National Council of Women of Australia The National Council of Women of Australia (NWA) is an Australian organisation founded in 1931. The council is an umbrella organisation with which are affiliated seven State and Territory National Councils of Women. It is non-party political, no ...

, the body sought to promote feminism and remain free of the

two party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referre ...

that dominated the political scene. The longtime president and co-founder of the WSG was

Bessie Rischbieth Bessie Mabel Rischbieth, (née Earle; 16 October 187413 March 1967) was an influential and early Australian feminist and social activist. A leading or founding member of many social reform groups, such as the Women's Service Guilds, The Aus ...

who connected the organisation to British and American movements and led the organisation to become a national one. Other notable members include

Roberta Jull Roberta Henrietta Margaritta Jull (née Stewart, 16 August 1872 in Glasgow, Scotland – 6 March 1961 in Subiaco, Western Australia) was a medical doctor who, spurred by poor living conditions and high infant mortality, worked towards social refo ...

and

Edith Cowan Edith Dircksey Cowan (' Brown; 2 August 18619 June 1932) was an Australian social reformer who worked for the rights and welfare of women and children. She is best known as the first Australian woman to serve as a member of parliament. Cowan h ...

(cofounders),

Ruby Hutchison Ruby Florence Hutchison (15 February 1892 – 17 December 1974) was an Australian politician. She was a Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1954 to 1971, representing Suburban Province (1954–1965) and North-E ...

Florence Cardell-Oliver Dame Annie Florence Gillies Cardell-Oliver, DBE (née Wilson; 11 May 1876 — 12 January 1965) was a Western Australian politician and political activist, often known publicly as simply Florence Cardell-Oliver. She was the longest-serving fem ...

, Mary M Bennett,

Jean Beadle Jean Beadle (born Jane Miller; 1 January 1868 – 22 May 1942) was an Australian feminist, social worker and Labor party member. Life Jane Miller was born on 1 January 1868 in Clunes, Victoria, daughter of George Darlington Miller, miner and h ...

and broadcaster Irene Greenwood. The official organ of the WSG was the magazine, ''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...

'', through which Rischbieth (editor) and the guilds promoted causes such as the representation of women in the judiciary, parliament and in the welfare system. The last issue of the ''Dawn'' newsletter was to contain the obituary of its long term editor. The organisation's scope also included the prostitutes and prisoners of the nation. Their long-running campaign to allow the admission of single women to a new hospital ( KEMH) was met with staunch opposition from the establishment and media of the day. The Kindergarten system in the state was founded by the organisation, as was the local

Girl Guides Association Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association and is the national guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest girl-only youth organisation. Girlguiding is a char ...

and a home for elderly women, the Mount Henry Hospital. The Civil Rehabilitation Council of Western Australia, the Prisoners Aid Society, the Society for the Preservation of Nature were also auspiced by the WSG. They were not limited to the newly entitled voters and advocated on behalf of the rights of children and women of the

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

population of the nation. This was, along with activism for the conservation of

Natural heritage Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, including flora and fauna, ecosystems and geological structures. It forms part of our natural resources. Definition Heritage is that which is ''inherited'' from past gener ...

, well in advance of international organisations of the 1960s or Australian social movements of the 1980s and 90s. Their agenda also included pacifist activism, such as the opposition to conscription, and other 'radical' causes. Some of these led to potential splits within the guilds, Cowan actively supported conscription for example, but Rischbieth is credited with maintaining the unity of the movement. She also coordinated with the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

to form a national organisation that addressed issues on a national level. The WSG was affiliated with the

Karrakatta Club The Karrakatta Club is a female-only women's club in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 1894, it was the first women's club in Australia. History The Karrakatta Club was founded in 1894 by members of the St George Reading Circle. The St G ...

, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Western Australia and international suffrage movements.

Legacy

The Kings Park memorial to pioneering women was founded. The WSG ceased its operation in 1997, nearly 90 years after it began. On the day of disbandment,

Cheryl Davenport Cheryl May Davenport ''née'' Crockenberg (born 19 January 1947) is a former Australian politician. She was born in Pinjarra and was an electorate officer before entering politics. In 1989 she was elected to the Western Australian Legislative ...

addressed the state parliament with the details of the achievements of WSG. A continuing scholarship, the Women's Service Guild top-up, a

Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses also in Singapore and Dubai. It began operations as the state's second university on 25 July 1973, and accepted its first undergraduate students in 1975. Its n ...

trust that is – remarkably – available for study at any West Australian university. PhD students with research of benefit to the women and children of Western Australia can apply for three years of funding assistance.*

References

Sources

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History

Legacy

References

Sources

Further reading