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Australian Women's National League.

Also known as
Australian Women's National League. (1904-)
Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-598652

Biographies

Australian Women's Register

The Australian Women’s National League (AWNL) was a conservative women’s organisation established in 1904 to support the monarchy and empire, to combat socialism, educate women in politics and safeguard the interests of the home, women and children. It aimed to garner the votes of newly enfranchised women for non-Labor political groups espousing free trade and anti-socialist sentiments, with considerable organisational success. At its peak, it was the largest and arguably the most influential women’s organisation in the country. By 1914 the AWNL claimed 52,000 members in three states. Closely associated with the United Australia Party, the financial and organisational support of the League was a key factor in the foundation of the Australian Liberal Party in 1944. At this point, the majority of members reconstituted themselves as the Women’s Section of the Liberal Party. The League continued in a much reduced state.

The initial impetus for the formation of the Australian Women’s National League came from moves by the Victorian Employers Federation in 1903 to form a conservative women's political organisation. Janet Lady Clarke was approached to sponsor this new group and held a meeting of three hundred women at her home in August 1903 to discuss forming an organisation. Nothing definite emerged, however, until the following year when another meeting, organised by Clarke's sister, Evan Hughes, was held at the Melbourne Town Hall in March 1904. A provisional committee was elected and the following month the League was formally established and Janet Lady Clarke was appointed first president.

Throughout its existence the Leagues aims were:#xA; • “Loyalty to the Throne#xA; • To counteract Socialist tendencies#xA; • To educate the Women of Victoria to realise their political responsibilities#xA; • To Safeguard the Interests of the Home, Women and Children.”

Numerous suburban and country branches were subsequently formed. From 1909, the League's activities were extensively documented in its journal The Woman. An issue which attracted the early attention of the League, apart from combating left-wing politics was the provision of domestic science education for girls in schools and the establishment of domestic science as a university course. From 1905-1945 the League organised the Empire Day celebrations in Melbourne. During World War I The Woman acted as a rallying point for women in Melbourne. It encouraged women to cultivate medicinal herbs and plants, to make garments and towels for fund-raising stalls, to donate old linen, blankets, towels, bandages, toiletries and pipes to the Red Cross Society and gave advice on 'rural industries for women': poultry farming, gardening and even pig raising. After the war, the League's activities expanded considerably into the areas of women's and children's welfare. In 1918, the League inaugurated 'Baby Week' in Melbourne, which included the exhibition of healthy babies from charitable homes, displays of baby foods, pure milk and sample diets, and lectures by doctors and nurses. This led to the formation of advisory centres which contributed to the establishment of Baby Health centres and pure milk supplies in Victoria. From 1906 it ran classes in public speaking, debating and branch work for its members.

The League was initially very much committed to the belief that men and women had different, 'natural' spheres of interest and activity. Although working to provide a voice for women's specific concerns and offering some political influence for women, the League did not support the idea of women taking on political leadership. It was not until the 1920s that it endorsed the entry of women into parliament.

Both its important place in conservative politics, and its strong commitment to representing women's interests, are evident in its role in the formation of the Australian Liberal Party. In return for the support of their membership and considerable financial backing, the AWNL obtained two key undertakings from Robert Menzies: there was to be equal gender representation throughout the Liberal Party, and that the AWNL be permitted to continue within the new party's structure, as the Women's Section. Most League members thus left to form this new section of the Liberal Party. Some members, however, felt strongly that it was important for women to retain autonomous organisations and they continued the League in its original form although with greatly reduced numbers.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Resources for Australian Women's National League.

Selected resources (24)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Homefires and Housewives: Women, war and the politics of consumption
    Smart, Judith
    [2004]
  2. Eva Hughes: Militant Conservative
    Smart, Judith
    [1985]
    Published: Penguin, Melbourne
  3. The Woman
    The Australian Women's National League
    [1907-1934]
  4. Constitution of the Australian Women's National League
    Published: The Australian Women's National League, Melbourne
  5. History of the Australian Women's National League
    Published: The Australian Women's National League, Melbourne
  6. 'Conservative Female Endeavour': The Australian Women’s National League 1904-1914
    McCarty, Elizabeth
    [1985]
    Published: Department of History, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
  7. Australian Women's National League
    Smart, Judith
    [1998]
    Published: Oxford University Press, Melbourne
  8. The Australian Women’s National League: A Theoretical and Historical Reconsideration
    Scobie, Doug
    [1997]
    Published: Department of History, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
  9. Alfred Deakin and the Australian Women's National League
    Fitzherbert, Margaret
    [2001]
    Published: Federation Press, Annandale, N.S.W.
  10. Conservative feminism in Australia: a case study of feminist ideology
    Simms, Marian
    [1978]
  11. Out of the doll's house; women in the public sphere
    Encel, Sol and Campbell, Dorothy
    [1991]
    Published: Longman Cheshire, Melbourne
  12. Women of influence: the first fifty years of women in the Liberal Party
    Sydenham, Diane
    [1996]
    Published: Women's Section, Liberal Party of Australia Victorian Division, Melbourne
  13. From Vision to Reality: Histories of the affiliates of the National Council of Women of Victoria
    [1987]
    Published: YWCA, Melbourne
  14. 'Most eminent woman' : Lady Janet Clarke
    Bartle, Claire
    [1998]
    Published: Melbourne University History Student Research Series, no. 5, Department of History, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
  15. A woman's place: women and politics in Australia
    Sawer, Marian and Simms, Marian
    [1984]
    Published: George Allen and Unwin, Sydney
  16. 'For the good that we can do': Cecilia Downing and feminist Christian citizenship
    Smart, Judith
    [1994]
  17. The 'Woman Question' in Melbourne, 1880-1914
    Kelly, Farley
    [1983]
    Published: Monash University, Melbourne
  18. Liberal women : Federation to 1949
    Fitzherbert, Margaret
    [2004]
    Published: Federation Press, Sydney
  19. A sacred trust: Cecilia Downing, Baptist faith and feminist citizenship
    Smart, Judith
    [1995]
  20. Australian Women's National League, Geelong Branch
    [1904 - 1907]
    Membership register.
    Geelong Heritage Centre, Geelong City Council
    GRS 355
  21. Couchman, Elizabeth May Ramsay, Dame [Papers and history]
    [1920 - 1969]
    Comprises papers of the Australian Women's National League, 1920-1945, collected by Dame Elizabeth Couchman, and history entitled "The Australian Women's Naitonal League, 1904-1945" by Elizabeth Couchman, 14 February 1969.
    0.01 m
    State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection
  22. Australian Women's National League
    [1904 - 1954]
    Australian Women's National League history commemorating the organisation's fifty year anniversary; photo album containing portraits of the first members of the League, photographs taken by Sarony Studios, 114 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. NOTE: Many of the women in the photographs are unidentified.
    0.04 m
    The University of Melbourne Archives
    87/141
  23. Papers, [manuscript] 1928-1972
    [1928 - 1972]
    Correspondence, diaries, subject files, speeches, minutes, reports, photographs and publications relating to her political career. There is also correspondence and printed material relating to Lady Knox and her participation in the Australian Women's National League.
    7.2 m, 4 folio items
    National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection
    MS 5159
  24. Couchman, Elizabeth May Ramsay, Dame Papers, [manuscript] 1913-1970
    E.M.R. Couchman, Hopes of Australian women. Copy of account of women's views as supplied to the Ministry of Information by request (1945); The Australian Women's National League (1904-1945) (Historical notes, with addendum). Autobiographical notes (1970). Federal election campaign leaflet (1941) for endorsed U.A.P. candidate for Melbourne, Mrs E.M.R. Couchman; Australian Women's National League records: Explanatory leaflet (1937); programme for Empire Day Celebration (1945); statement authorized by the Executive (1945); Newspaper cuttings ca. 1934-1945; Photograph of delegates at the Liberal party of Australia Inaugural Conference, Albury, Dec. 1944.
    0.01 m
    National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection
    MS 2752

Resources By Australian Women's National League. (9)

  1. Woman (Melbourne, Vic.)
    [Periodical : 1907-1934]
  2. Constitution of the Australian Women's National League
    Australian Women's National League
    [Book : 1911-1926]
  3. Papers
    Couchman, Elizabeth May Ramsay Dame
    [Unpublished : 1913-1970]
  4. Woman's paper (Melbourne, Vic.)
    [Periodical : 1900]
  5. History of the Australian Women's National League
    Australian Women's National League
    [Book : 1954]
  6. Baby Week campaign : Melbourne Town Hall and Athenaeum Hall ... / Australian Women's National League
    [Book : 1918]
  7. Empire Day and the Union Jack
    [Book : 1902]
  8. Annual report / Australian Women's National League
    Australian Women's National League
    [Article ]
  9. Empire Day celebration : Melbourne Town Hall Wednesday, 24th May, 1944 8 p.m
    [Book : 1944]

Resources About Australian Women's National League. (61)

  1. Woman (Melbourne, Vic.)
    [Periodical : 1907-1934]
  2. Constitution of the Australian Women's National League
    Australian Women's National League
    [Book : 1911-1926]
  3. Liberal women : federation - 1949 / Margaret Fitzherbert
    Fitzherbert, Margaret
    [Book : 2004]
  4. Papers
    Couchman, Elizabeth May Ramsay Dame
    [Unpublished : 1913-1970]
  5. Parkville Delegate
    Sarony Studios, 114 Elizabeth Street Melbourne
    [Photograph : 1904]
    Available online
  6. Stuart
    Sarony Studios, 114 Elizabeth Street Melbourne
    [Photograph : 1904]
    Available online
  7. Wright
    Sarony Studios, 114 Elizabeth Street Melbourne
    [Photograph : 1904]
    Available online
  8. Bidfell?
    Sarony Studios, 114 Elizabeth Street Melbourne
    [Photograph : 1904]
    Available online
  9. Papers and history
    Couchman, Elizabeth May Ramsay Dame
    [Unpublished : 1920-1969]
  10. Florence E Passfield
    Sarony Studios, 114 Elizabeth Street Melbourne
    [Photograph : 1904]
    Available online

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  1. AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL LEAGUE.
    The Argus (Melbourne,..., Tuesday 23 November 1915 p 6
    ... AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL LEAGUE. The following resolution was carried at a meeting of the executive of the Australian Women's Nitioml league ycsterdij - Tint the cxicuthc of the Australian Women s National League yesterday:— "That the executive of the Australian Women's in postponing the ... 112 words
  2. Australian Women's National League
    The Argus (Melbourne,..., Tuesday 24 September 1935 p 16
    ... Australian Women's National League The Kerang branch of the Australian Women's Women s National League will celebrate Its 25th anniversary at a social gathering in the Presbyterian Church Hall to-day at 3 p m Mrs Berry will give an address The quarterly meeting of the Olinda-Mt Dandenong branch ... 100 words
  3. AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL LEAGUE.
    The Mercury (Hobart,..., Wednesday 29 November 1905 p 8
    ... AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL LEAGUE. At a meeting of the Camberwell branch of the Australian Women's National League on Monday the following resolution tion was carried unanimously:-"That, in the ... in their opera- tions anel penalise tlio purchasing pub- lic, of which eo large a class are women." ... 99 words