Toora internals 30/7/04 11:37 PM Page 1 the he r st o r y of toora women inc. elena ros e n m a n “I am very conscious that I still think, act, talk and breathe like a Toora woman…So I would still leap tall buildings for any one of the women that I grew up with then and they know that, and I know that about them. So it’s a pretty enduring lesson. And I would anticipate being at most of their funerals if them not at mine. So that makes it a lifelong kind of an association, a really powerful association and a very special one.” Toora internals 30/7/04 11:37 PM Page 2 co n t e n t s Toora Timeline 4 Acknowledgments 6 Introduction 8 1 Toora’s political context : 12 the women’s movement in Australia 2 Single women at the Canberra Women's Refuge 23 3 Funding the Single Women's Shelter 30 4 Opening the Single Women's Shelter 42 5 Funding women’s refuges 54 6 Feminist refuges 72 7 The Toora collective 86 8 Towards an analysis of homelessness 99 9 Toora women and addiction 116 10 Starting WARS and getting WIREDD: 133 Toora’s drug and alcohol services 11 Heira: single women and domestic violence 149 12 Race and ethnicity at Toora 158 13 Expansion and change at Toora 171 14 Conclusion 185 Toora Today 188 Notes 202 2 talking like a toora woman Toora internals 30/7/04 11:37 PM Page 4 toora timeline April 19 7 0 19 8 2 19 8 3 Department of Housing 19 9 2 20 0 2 Women’s liberation March – April February relocates the Single Heira, a house for single June movement spins out of the The Single Women's Shelter Women squat in ACT Women’s Shelter to women escaping domestic Lesley’s Place outreach anti-Vietnam War collective submit a proposal Housing Trust house to Busby Street, O’Connor. violence opens. service is launched as part movement in Australia. for a Single Women's draw attention to the of the national Alcohol and Toora moves from Busby Branches start in most cities Shelter to the Department need for a single women's November other Drugs Council of Street to purpose built including Canberra. of the Capital Territories shelter. Toora hosts National Australia’s Drug Action house. Community Development Women and Addiction Week. March Fund and the Conference. 19 7 2 Fraser government loses Commonwealth. Federal election campaign – Federal election. 19 9 3 WARS is renamed as 20 0 3 led by Gough Whitlam and 6 April – Single Women's 19 8 5 Lesley’s Place expands to May Women’s information referral supported by the Women’s Shelter is incorporated Supported Accommodation provide a residential recovery Department of Social and education on durgs and Electoral Lobby (WEL), as a legal body. and Assistance Program service for women and Security and Department dependency (WIREDD) and the Australian Labor Party (SAAP) Mark I begins. children. ends 23 years of Liberal July of Capital Territory confirm moves out of the refuge into Toora receives National government in Australia. Department of Capital funding for six month pilot independent location. Territories defers Single of Single Women's Shelter. Campaign Against Drugs 20 0 4 Women's Shelter grant. and Alcohol (NCADA) grant February August 19 7 4 for one drug and alcohol 19 9 5 Toora Women Inc. open Australia’s first feminist Department of Social 3 August – Toora Single Service review – complete worker and the Women’s Marzenna, an alcohol and women’s refuge, Elsie Security advises maximum Women’s Shelter accepts Addiction Recovery Service revision of Toora management drug halfway house for opens in Sydney. funding of $26 000. her first residents. (WARS) is established. and staffing structures. Two women and children. August 8 August – Toora Single specific managerial positions March created – Executive Director and 19 7 5 Department of Capital Women's Shelter formally 31 March – Toora Women Canberra Women’s 19 8 8 Territories offers $26 000 opens. The Domestic Violence Crisis Service Coordinator. Inc. launches Betty Searle Refuge opens. conditional on the Late 1983 – Toora closes Service (DVCS) begins House, a boarding house Department of Social for women with chemical operating in Canberra. for women aged over 55. Security matching the grant. 19 9 8 19 7 6 dependencies and WIREDD receives June Canberra’s Rape Crisis July October undergoes extensive training Commonwealth Illicit Toora Women Inc. receives Centre is established. Allegations of Department of Social on women and addiction. misappropriation of funds. Drug Strategy funds for funding to provide outreach Security decides not to fund Toora is investigated by ACT 1.5 additional workers. support to single women. 19 8 1 Single Women's Shelter. Community and Health The Single Women's Shelter 19 8 4 August Service. Investigation finds collective is established. The Incest Centre opens in 20 0 0 Toora turns 21. the Lobelia Street Women’s the allegations baseless and Heira house relocates. Centre. gives Toora an excellent report. 4 talking like a toora woman Toora Timeline Toora internals 30/7/04 11:37 PM Page 6 ac k n o w l e d g e m e n t s the manuscript and offered invaluable assistance and support. A many women shared their number of women also read parts of the document and offered advice experiences as part of the Too r a and suggestions; thank you to Kim Werner and Alexandra Burt. Dorothy Broom in particular provided much editorial assistance, he r s t o r y project and it is vivid continuing her lengthy commitment to Toora Women Inc. Thanks are also due to Wendy Sanderson and Sophie Chessell, who because of their generos i t y . helped so much that this project has left them both feeling nostalgic for an organisation they have never worked for. Thank you to Ara Cresswell, Bridie Doyle, Sukalpa Goldflam, Tjanara Goreng Goreng, Elspeth Lamb, Lirlavatii, Dymphna Lowry, Meg Lowry, Writer Anne Summers and photographer Daniela Torsh were involved Phil Lowry, Di Lucas, Lyn Morgain, Liz O’Brien, Lisa Paul, Jacqui Pearce, with Australia’s first feminist refuge, Elsie, and supported both the Toora Julia Ryan, Chris Rytir, Julie Schneller, Gillian Shaw, Tarryn Smith, herstory exhibition and this document. Thank you. On a practical note, Branka Trajkovski, Eddie Wadick, Linda Webb and Julie Whitmore. thank you to Julie Bizant at Biztech who transcribed hours of interviews Special thanks are also due to Patricia Walker, who opened many of and to Delene White for her graphics, dedication and patience. her journals and notebooks, and shed an enormous amount of light on The ACT Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher has been an enormous her own experiences. Thank you to Meredith Regan, who was supporter of Toora Women Inc. and this project – sponsoring the Toora enthusiastic about the project, helped enormously in contacting other Herstory Exhibition in 2003 and funding the publication of Talking Like a women, and made herself available to clarify my endless queries. Toora Woman. The brief herstory I offer of the women's movement in Australia is As a young feminist, the most amazing thing this project has offered heavily indebted to the usual suspects in Australian feminist history: me is an understanding of what it felt like to be a part of Australia’s Marilyn Lake’s Getting Equal: the history of Australian feminism, and feminist community 20 odd years ago; an empathy for the nostalgia Anne Summer’s more personal account in Ducks on the Pond. The many women feel. The enthusiasm, passion and commitment of Toora outline of the development of Canberra women's liberation is women through the last 21 years and that feeling of intoxication with constructed largely from conversations I had with Julia Ryan and Liz new ideas, is something I would have loved to have seen. So, this O’Brien. Julia, Liz and Bridie Doyle also offered their personal project is dedicated to those women who have worked at Toora over experiences of women's liberation – often the best illustration of the the last two decades and moreover, to the courageous women who issues. All of them have been and remain very active in the Canberra have used the service in that time and continue to walk through the feminist community and were candid and generous with their time. doors today. Thank you also to the Toora women who supervised this project. Jacqui Pearce provided perspective and humour and her best Elena Rosenman suggestions were offered in friendship. Bridie Doyle read and reread July 2004 6 talking like a toora woman acknowledgements Toora internals 30/7/04 11:37 PM Page 8 The organisation has grown and changed dramatically since the Toora in t ro d u c t i o n Single Women's Shelter opened 21 years ago. From an organisation that opened with three paid positions, there are now over 50 Toora workers. The story of how it came to look as it does today is far bigger In 2004, Toora Women Inc. is a feminist organisation that offers services than the story of one organisation. Reflected in Toora’s herstory are to women in Canberra. They provide support to homeless women, the politics, activism, frustration and hope that have told the herstory women with chemical dependencies, women affected by the chemical of the women’s movement since the 1970s. They have shared issues dependency of others, women with mental health issues, women from like racism and the changes that accompany the inclusion of radical culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women in trauma and projects in bureaucratic structures.