User:Doug butler/League of Women Voters (Australia)

The League of Women Voters was a non-party political organization in Australia whose objects were to improve conditions for women.

New South Wales
Founded in 1902 as the Women's Liberal League by by Mrs Molyneaux Parkes, it became the Women's Reform League, then in 1923 it became a non-party body, the Women's League of New South Wales, affiliated with a national organization which may have been called Australian Women's League or similar ("it is not necessary to be a member of the Women's League to join").
 * Women's League of NSW

Daughter of W. H. Draper, of Brunswick, Melbourne. Sister of Emily "Emmie" Draper (died 24 May 1924) Sister of pilot officer Vernon Humphrey Roberts (born 2 December 1913) married Patricia Phyllis Cahill in Adelaide 1942. Married Albert Victor Roberts, dairy farmer of Raymond Terrace, later of 74 Gerard Street, Cremorne. Insolvent 1937.
 * Mrs A. V. Roberts JP, née Anna Maude "Dollie" Draper,

(president 1927) maybe wife of Albert Victor Roberts, auctioneer Murchison 1890s, Rushworth 1890s.

Albert V. Roberts was a Labor candidate for North Shore seat 1920; polled 3rd lowest.

In 1929 the Women's League of NSW moved into new premises at Room 18, 2nd floor, United Chambers, at the corner of Hunter and George streets.

March 1922 hon. secretary North Shore Hospital appeal. Mrs A. V. Roberts, J.P. would have been candidate for North Sydney, November 1922, but was late with her nomination papers due to death of a soldier brother; a widower with four young children (perhaps pte Maurice Draper (c. 1897 – 21 July 1922) married to Alice)


 * Council of Social and Moral Reform was a sub-committee of the League of Women Voters.


 * Women's Reform League 1922

Mrs. A. V. Roberts, J.P., and her children will leave by car for Melbourne on 18 December 1922 Old Colonists' Home Scheme 1923 President Women's Union of Service President Women's League of NSW delegate to the Pan-Pacific Conference, Honolulu

Annie M. Roberts of Concorde, NSW died 16 December 1923

but Annie M. Roberts JP was president Council of Social and Moral Reform also at but name still listed at Women Justices advt., and as president, Women's League of NSW wrote article on Bogue Luffman 1929, then vanished.

The Women's League of NSW was responsible for formation of several other organisations: The Bush Book Club, Queen Victoria Club to Encourage Music, Literature, and Art, the Red Cross Society, and still more recently the Racial Hygiene Association and the Council of Social and Moral Reform.

Mrs A. V. Roberts resigned from Council for Social and Moral Reform July 1930. Her replacement was Mrs Edmond Gates. In September 1930 Lady Philip Game founded auxiliary for blind association, and A. V. Roberts was elected organising secretary. to March 1937.


 * Women Voters' Association
 * Women Voters' Association of NSW was founded by Mrs Albert Littlejohn in December 1928. Her vice-presidents were Mrs Hugh Munro, Mrs Kenneth Street, Mrs A. V. Roberts, and Mrs Earle Page, also Miss May Matthews, Miss Persia Campbell, Miss G. Smith, Mrs Godhard, Mrs H. F. Bennett, Mrs Beatrice Macdonald, Mrs Jamieson Williams.


 * Women's Service Club
 * Founded 1917 as a club for rest and recreation of professional women. President Mrs W. D. Laing, vice-president Miss Amy Roseby, also Mrs Kingsford Smith, Rose Seaton, Elsa Halo, Margaret Reid, G. Amy Roseby, L. L. Armstrong, and Dorothy Shirley. Registered as a company 1923. Rooms at 114 Hunter-street. Largely disbanded 1926, but included in amalgamation discussions.

United Associations
Founded in 1930 by amalgamation of Women's League of NSW, Women Voters' Association, and Women's Service Club. Initially it was to be called the Women's United Association, but the less prescriptive title won out. Mrs Kenneth Street was elected president, with vice-presidents Mrs Albert Littlejohn, Mrs Dougall Laing, and Mrs A. V. Roberts. Miss Audrey Cameron treasurer and position of secretary abolished. The committee comprised Mrs Vernon Allen, Mrs Emily Bennett, Mrs Ruby Duncan, Mrs Heussler, Mrs Stephen Herford, Mrs M. Liddell, Mrs W. J. Milner, Mrs E. R. Proud, and Mrs Earle Page.

South Australia
The League grew out of the Women's Non-Party Political Association, which was founded in July 1909 at a meeting organised by Vida Goldstein of Victoria in Bricknell's Cafe, Rundle Street. Catherine Spence was elected the first president, with Mrs J. P. Morice and Dr Violet Plummer vice-presidents and A. Witham secretary. Monthly meetings were held at the May Club, first at the corner of Rundle Street and James Place, then from June 1911 at No. 3 Netter Buildings, Gresham street. In February 1917 the Association moved into its own rooms on the 3rd floor, Kither's Buildings, King William Street. In July 1917 the organization became the Women's Non-Party Association of South Australia. In 1925 Blackwood and Henley branches (presidents Mrs Matheson and Mrs McKay respectively) were formed, and clubrooms moved from Kither's buildings to Harvard Chambers on North Terrace. In 1927 the Association, at the instigation of the Australian Federation of Women Voters, adopted the subtitle "League of Women Voters". In 1932 a junior branch was formed. A few years later, the organization began running a kiosk at the Royal Show. In 1934 they moved to rooms in the Alexandra Chambers, 27 Grenfell Street, and in 1939 formally changed their name to the League of Women Voters with "Women's Non-Party Association" a sub-title.

Some prominent members were:
 * Dr Marie Brown ( – 21 November 1949) contested Robe ward on the Adelaide City Council in 1922.
 * Hilda Margaret Burden (1883–1973) (first secretary, president 1917–1921)
 * Mrs P. B. Carvosso (1878–1958)
 * Dr Phoebe Chapple
 * Constance Mary Cooke (Mrs W. Ternent Cooke, née Hoare, 1882– ) (secretary, president –1927)
 * Clare Rosina Crase, née Wilson (1895–1986) (secretary 1945)
 * Dr Constance Muriel Davey (1882–1963) (president 1943–1947)
 * Doris Ellis (secretary 1943–) Y.W.C.A president 1932–34
 * Annie Hornabrook (1865 – 13 April 1938) stood for Adelaide City Council MacDonnell ward in 1916; a founder of School for Mothers, Mareeba Babies Hospital.
 * Mrs Harvey Johnston (secretary, president 1929–1932), née Alice Maude Mary Pearce, married Thomas Harvey Johnston in 1907, she died 1971
 * Rev. Winifred Kiek (c. 1884–1975) (secretary; president 1934–1938, 1939–1940)
 * Mrs W. H. Lewis (secretary, president 1927–1929)
 * Dr Helen Mayo
 * Mrs Carlile McDonnell (secretary; president 1920–1924) She was Federal President 1945.
 * Mrs C. P. Mountford (president 1940–1943;secretary;treasurer) née Bessie Ilma Johnstone (1883– ), married Mountford in 1933.
 * Mrs Leonora Ethel Polkinghorne (secretary; president 1938–1939) née Twiss, married Oswald Polkinghorne in 1910
 * (Ada) Blanche Stephens (c. 1881–1953) (secretary 1922– )
 * J. McKellar Stewart ( – ) (president 1947–48)
 * Mrs M. Talbot Hill was delegate to the British Commonwealth League Conference in 1932
 * Amy Louisa Tomkinson JP (3 June 1856 – 17 November 1943) stood for Adelaide City Council Gawler ward in 1916.
 * Mary Harriet Tomkinson (treasurer) (c. 1873 – 17 October 1943); both were daughters of Samuel Tomkinson
 * Mrs Crawford Vaughan, née Evelyn Goode (14 April 1877 – 2 November 1927) daughter of Thomas Goode and Margaret, née Wilson
 * Dorothy Vaughan (1881–1974) (secretary) was daughter of Alfred Vaughan.
 * Ellinor Gertrude Walker (died 1990) poet, federal secretary 1933–
 * Annie Beatrice Whitham (1874–1948) (secretary 1909–1919)
 * Mrs Alice Womersley ( –1954) (president 1949– ) married to Herbert Womersley, entomologist at SA Museum
 * Mrs Walter Wragge (president 1913–1916) married to (Anglican) canon, warden of St. Barnabas' College from 1907; left for England 1916
 * Mrs (Sarah) Jeanne Forster Young ( –1955) (secretary) née Forster married Alfred Howard Young in 1889.

Queensland

 * Queensland Citizenship League
 * Mrs Irene Longman (president 1933)


 * Women's Democratic Council formed 1938
 * Mrs E. Barker; hon. secretary.
 * Mrs G. L. Byth (president 1938)
 * Mrs O. M. Farmer
 * Miss Merna Gillies (secretary 1938); hon. treasurer,
 * Mrs S. Gutherie
 * Mrs H. L. Hartley (treasurer 1938); executive, Mes
 * Mrs J. Tait
 * Mrs H. C. Tipper
 * Mrs F. L. Ward
 * Mrs D. Wienholt
 * Mrs J. Williams


 * League of Women Voters of Queensland
 * Mrs E. A. D. Amos
 * Mrs H. G. Andean
 * Mrs M. H. Arundel
 * Mrs A. Mason Beatty
 * Mrs J. Bean
 * Mrs M. Bensley
 * Mrs C. Beven
 * Mrs A. E. Blunt
 * Mrs E. J. Brampton
 * Miss K. L. Briggs
 * Mrs Kellett Cameron
 * Mrs M. E. Catt
 * Mrs P. V. Christison
 * Mrs B. Cowan
 * Mrs M. E. de Mattos (contested 1938 elections)
 * Mrs Roy S. Farley
 * Mrs A. J. Gardner, peace convener
 * Mrs Grilsey (Boonah)
 * Mrs A. P. Grout
 * Mrs P. H. Grout
 * Mrs M. Guthrie (secretary 1938)
 * Mrs J. N. Helbach (contested 1935 elections)
 * Mrs E. Hughes
 * Mrs R. Hulsen
 * Miss C. Hussey (Bundaberg)
 * Miss D. F. King
 * Mrs L. E. Lacey
 * Linda Littlejohn (Mrs Albert Littlejohn)
 * Miss Isobel McCorkindale (W.C.T.U.)
 * Mrs R. S. McGooch (secretary 1940)
 * Mrs R. McKee
 * Mrs M. McLaughlin
 * Mrs M. McLean (secretary 1953)
 * Mrs J. T. McMahon
 * Mrs A. J. Mallalieu
 * Miss Margaret A. Ogg (many years secretary of the Queensland Women's Electoral League)
 * Mrs M. G. Piper
 * Mrs B. Richardson
 * Mrs T. Rowett
 * Mrs G. Smith
 * Mrs N. L. Solly (contested 1935 elections)
 * Mrs T. C. Troedson (secretary 1933,38,53)
 * Mrs J. C. Trotter (hon. treasurer 1933, 38, 40, 53)
 * Mrs A. H. Tucker
 * Mrs E. Tucker
 * Mrs D. Morton Tweedie
 * Mrs J. Williams (president 1938)
 * Mrs J. Graham Wilson

Tasmania

 * Mrs Edith Alice Waterworth OBE (1873–1957) (president 1940)

Victoria

 * National Council of Women of Victoria


 * Victorian Women Citizens' Movement


 * League of Women Voters c. 1930

some names:
 * Mrs Edward Bage
 * Mrs G. H. James (president 1930)
 * Kathleen Annie Gilman-Jones (c. 1881–1942) (president, VWCM 1928) Headmistress of Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School 1914–1938
 * J. Rapke (secretary 1930)

Western Australia

 * Women's Electoral League formed in Perth 1900


 * Women's Non-Party Association


 * Women's Service Guilds of W.A.


 * Mrs Bagot (president 1928)
 * Mrs Beadle
 * Mrs Brockway
 * Mrs Bracks
 * Mrs Brockway
 * Ada Bromham (president 1929)
 * Mrs Frank Bromilow (president 1930)
 * Mrs Cant
 * Mrs Cardell-Oliver
 * Mrs Cherry (president 1925)
 * Coralie Clarke BA (manager/editor Dawn 1929)
 * Mrs Comley (treasurer 1930)
 * Mrs Coombe
 * Mrs Cover
 * Mrs L. C. Creeth
 * Mrs Cross
 * Mrs Edith Daglish OBE (treasurer 1927)
 * Mrs Dimond
 * Miss Dixon
 * Mrs Cecil Evans
 * Mrs W. H. Evans (president 1935)
 * Mrs Farleigh
 * Mrs Flower
 * Mrs Fry
 * Mrs G. C. Gregory (treasurer 1930–31)
 * Mrs Halligan
 * Mrs Hamilton
 * Mrs Harris
 * Mrs R. Hill
 * Mrs F. Hummerston
 * Mrs Johnson (secretary 1928)
 * H. Jolly
 * Mrs A. E. Joyner (president 1927)
 * A. E. King (secretary 1927–29)
 * Mrs Lamb
 * Mrs Lawrence (treasurer 1932)
 * Mrs Ernest Le Soeuf (secretary 1925)
 * Mrs Leach
 * Mrs Amelia MacDonald (president 1923,24)
 * Mrs W. J. McGuire
 * Mrs S. Manners
 * Mrs Maxwell
 * Mrs E. Mellows
 * Miss Miller
 * Mrs Moore
 * Mrs Morgans (treasurer 1929)
 * Mrs Morton
 * Mrs Mottram
 * Mrs Frank Orgill (treasurer 1933,34)
 * Mrs Parramore
 * Ethel Payne
 * Mrs Pepper
 * Mrs Perry
 * Mrs C. Richardson
 * Bessie Rischbieth (president 1920–1922)
 * Mrs J. Robertson
 * Mrs Rowland
 * Mrs Ruffy-Hill
 * Mrs Sanderson
 * Mrs Shann
 * Miss Stidworthy
 * R. Teagle (editor Dawn 1933)
 * Mrs May B. Vallance (c. 1885–1952) (president 1931–33)
 * Mrs Viol
 * Mrs Waldby

Federal

 * Australian Federation of Women's Societies was founded 1919, became The Australian Federation of Women's Societies for Equal Citizenship in 1921; president Bessie Rischbieth, with vice-presidents Elizabeth Nicholls (SA), Annie Carvosso (Qld) and Mary Jamieson Williams (NSW). It became the Australian Women's Federation for Equal Citizenship in 1924, then Australian Federation of Women Voters in 1927. It published the magazine Dawn.

1927 delegates included: 1929 Dawn layout
 * Miss Allen, B.A. (SA)
 * Mrs Anderson (WA)
 * Mrs Balfe (Tas)
 * Mrs H. F. Bennett (NSW) (vice-president 1930)
 * Dr Grace Boelke (SA)
 * Miss Ada Bromham (WA)
 * Miss M. B. Byles (NSW)
 * Mrs P. A. Cameron (NSW)
 * Miss Davey. M.A. (SA) (Helen Spence Scholar)
 * Mrs Debney (Vic)
 * Mrs Driver (WA)
 * Miss Eager (Vic)
 * Mrs J. G. Edwards (Tas)
 * Mrs W. H. Evans (WA)
 * Mrs Roy Farley (Qld)
 * Mrs Stanley Fisher (WA)
 * Mrs H. J. Flower (SA)
 * Mrs Gibbin (Tas)
 * Miss Gilman-Jones (Vic) (vice-president 1930)
 * Mrs Hepburn (Vic)
 * Miss Hinckley (WA)
 * Mrs Britomarte James (Vic)
 * Mrs Harvey Johnston (SA)
 * Mrs G. H. Jones (Vic)
 * Miss Gilman Jones (Vic)
 * Mrs A. E. Joyner (WA)
 * Miss Kelly (Vic)
 * Mrs Warren Kerr (Vic)
 * Mrs Le Souef (WA)
 * Mrs Albert Littlejohn (Linda Littlejohn) (NSW)
 * Mrs McCulloch (WA)
 * Mrs Carlile McDonnell (SA) (vice-president 1927, 1930)
 * Dr Ethel Remfrey Morris (SA)
 * Mrs Murdoch (Tas)
 * Mrs E. W. Nicholls JP. of WCTU (SA) One of first women JP's appointed in Australia (with Mrs Tom Price, Miss G. E. Dixon, Mrs Cullen)
 * Miss C. Ross Patterson (Qld)
 * Mrs Pennell (Vic)
 * Leonora Polkinghorne (SA) (president 1939)
 * Mrs Rapke (Vic)
 * Miss Rhodes (SA)
 * Miss Ruby Rich (NSW) (vice-president 1927)
 * Bessie Rischbieth (president 1924– )
 * Mrs E. O. Rowland (Tas)
 * Mrs Savige (Vic)
 * Mrs F. Saw (WA)
 * Grace Scobie (NSW) (secretary 1939)
 * G. O. Smith (Tas)
 * Miss Preston Stanley (NSW)
 * Miss Blanche Stephens (SA)
 * Jessie Street (NSW)
 * Mrs J. Sutcliffe (Vic)
 * Mrs M. B. Vallance (president 1933) (WA)
 * Miss Walker (SA)
 * Mrs Edith A. Waterworth (Tas) (vice-president 1930)
 * Mrs J. Williams (Qld)
 * Mrs M. Jamieson Williams (WCTU) (NSW)
 * Mrs Graham Wilson (Qld)
 * Mrs A. B. York (NSW)

In May 1933 the fourth tri-ennial conference of the Federation of Women Voters was held in Adelaide. Delegates included: In 1935 the Women's Service Guilds (WA); the Women's Non-Party Association (SA); the Women's Citizenship Movement; the United Associations of New South Wales; the Women's Union of Service, and the Feminist Club (NSW); the League of Women Voters and the Women's Citizen League (Qld); and the Women's Non-Partv League (Tas). (Victoria not found)
 * B. M. Rischbieth, chairwoman
 * Mrs Britomarte James (Vic delegate)
 * Mrs Julie Rapke (Vic delegate)
 * Miss Gilman Jones (Vic)
 * Mrs Albert Littlejohn (Linda Littlejohn, NSW delegate), vice president of United Associations in New South Wales, which is affiliated with the Non-Party Association of South Australia
 * Mrs Emily Bennett (NSW delegate), secretary to the United Associations in New South Wales
 * Mrs Edith Glanville (NSW delegate)
 * Mrs Douglas Laing (NSW delegate)
 * Mrs L. H. Gapp (NSW delegate)
 * Mrs Stephen Herford (NSW delegate)
 * Mrs Townshend (NSW delegate)
 * Mrs Edith Waterworth (Tas delegate)
 * Mrs M. Calvert (Tas delegate), secretary to the Non-Party League
 * Isobel McCorkindale represented Queensland
 * Dorothy Vaughan (SA delegate)
 * Mrs Harvey Johnston
 * Mrs Jeanne Young
 * Mrs A. Drummond
 * Elinor Walker
 * Blanche Stephens,
 * Frances Williams
 * Anna Menz
 * Mrs F. W. Webb
 * Dr Constance Davey
 * Mrs H. T. Nicholls
 * Mrs von Bertouch
 * Mrs. W. J. Hill
 * Mrs L. J. Miller
 * Mrs Law
 * Mrs L. E. Polkinghorne
 * Mrs W. T. Cooke, J.P.
 * Mrs Constance Williams
 * Dr E. A. Allen
 * Mrs T. D. Carvosso
 * Mrs W. H. Lewis