1978. Women Against Rape, Geelong was formed by a group of Geelong women following a woman being treated extremely badly after a rape. This group changed their name to Geelong Rape Crisis Centre & ran as an unfunded collective until 1982. The Geelong Rape Crisis Service (now Barwon CASA) was the second funded service to be established in Victoria in 1982 & it resulted by active & strong campaigning by Women Against Rape collective. It was allocated a small private space within the Casualty Section of the Geelong Hospital where medical examinations could be undertaken. In addition, rape victims & their families & friends were offered support by the Geelong Rape Crisis Collective.

Majory Taylor

1980. Marjory Taylor became a Member of the Order of Australia 9 June 1980 for her service to nursing. In World War II she served with the Royal Australian Airforce Nursing Service (1944-1946) & volunteered for 3 years as senior nursing officer with the Girl Guide International Service in the British Zone, Germany. 1950 -1981 Marjory worked with the Geelong Hospital, first as supervisor of the Maternity Wing & then as Director of Nursing. For 17 years - two as president - Marjory was a board member of the Intellectually Handicapped (Karingal) & was a founder & Board Member of the Geelong Hospice Care Association.

Women ambulance drivers

1941. Saturday 20 December 40 young Geelong women registered as emergency Ambulance drivers & the majority had already obtained their transport license. (The Argues, Saturday 20 December 1941, p. 2)

Women's representation on committees

1926. On Monday 4th October, 1926 a very lively special meeting of Geelong Hospital subscribers met to debate a motion to restrict the general committee to 21 members with not more than 3 women holding seats on the committee. The three women members of the committee voted again it & it was defeated 32 to 30 votes. Mr. J. Howard was one of the men supporting the motion! (The Argus, Tuesday, 5th October, 1926, p. 18)

Dr. Mary Clementina De Garis

1916 (approx.). Dr Mary Clementina De Garis (1881-1963)
Geelong’s first female medical practitioner and the first woman doctor to drive a car around Geelong. She pioneered feeding high protein diets to pregnant women.

Reclaim the Night collective

The Geelong Reclaim the Night Collective has 21 years of working to stop violence against women. They have annual event in the centre of Geelong on the last Friday of October. The collective initiated the Geelong Women's Herstory to celebrate and honor women in Geelong's story.

Link to their website: Reclaim the Night collective Geelong