Australia's first women's refuge has been awarded NSW State Heritage Register honours for its central role in the nation's fight against domestic violence. Elsie Refuge in Glebe in Sydney's inner west was founded in 1974 in the midst of the Women's Liberation Movement as a safe haven for women and children. It quickly became a symbol of the the era's fight against domestic violence and became a model for hundreds of other shelters around the nation.
Using squatter's rights to claim abandoned houses, a group of activists including journalists Anne Summers and Bessie Guthrie created the refuge, which soon became known for its strong links to women's activism. The State Heritage Register plaque includes a quote from Catie Gilchrist for the Dictionary of Sydney. "Armed only with broomsticks, shovels and energetic determination, they changed the locks to establish residency and claimed squatter's rights," it states.
"On that day, 16 March 1974 the women declared Elsie Women's Refuge Night Shelter open as Australia's first emergency safe haven for women and children subject to domestic violence." Dr Summers said she and other activists are thrilled by the honour and it was "just" that Elsie's legacy had been recognised by government. "It's incredible that the work that we started 50 years ago is being honoured," Dr Summers told AAP.
"It's not just a building that's been honoured or being remembered and being put on the state registry, but it's also the work that was done." She said it paved the way for other refuges around Sydney and other capital cities. "Today we don't even know how many refugees there are because there's no real means of knowing, certainly many hundreds," she said.
"Unfortunately, the need for them is still there. "But what we started that day certainly not only was necessary, but the need for it was Australia wide." Member for Sydney and senior federal minister Tanya Plibersek said Elsie had changed Australia and the heritage honour was a fitting acknowledgement of the movement it gave rise to.
"When Elsie Refuge was established by feminists, some parliamentarians said refuges would 'break up families' as women would finally flee violent marriages," she said. "Establishing Elsie, and the refuge movement, has changed Australia – providing safety for thousands of women and children, and advocacy to change our laws and systems." NSW Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said Elsie was an important piece of Australia's social history and had protected thousands of lives.
"The story of Elsie, and that of the Women's Liberation movement, will continue to inspire action and advocacy to protect women and children," she said..
