Women's Service Guilds

The Women's Service Guilds, initially known as the Women's Service Guilds of Western Australia, was an organizing body of the feminist movement in Australia. Founded in 1909, they integrated the campaigns for improved status and welfare of women and children nationally and with overseas organisations.

The recently federated state of Western Australia 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 and Women's Service Guilds (WSG) sought to coordinate the political actions of these organisations. Despite a 'conservative' membership, similar to the Country Women's Association (CWA) or later National Council of Women, the body sought to promote feminism and remain free of the two party system that dominated the political scene. The longtime president and cofounder of the WSG was Bessie Rischbieth who connected the organisation to british and american movements and led the organisation to become a national one. Other notable members include Roberta Jull and Edith Cowan (cofounders), Ruby Hutchison, Florence Cardell-Oliver, Mary M Bennett, Jean Beadle and broadcaster Irene Greenwood.

The official organ of the WSG was the magazine, Dawn, through which Rischbieth (editor) and the guilds promoted causes such as 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 organisations 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 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 population of the nation. This was, along with activism for the conservation of Natural heritage, well in advance of international organisations of the 1960s or Australian social movements of the 1980s and 90s.

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