The Hon. Dr SARAH KAINE (16:26): I move:

(1)That this House notes that:

(a)in March 1974 a group of women broke into two empty houses in Glebe and claimed squatters' rights so that they could use the house to assist women and children escaping domestic violence;

(b)this house, known as Elsie, became Australia's first women's refuge; and

(c)the establishment of Elsie Women's Refuge launched a movement across Australia to provide housing and support to those escaping violence.

(2)That this House welcomes the former houses of Elsie Refuge being added to the State Heritage Register.

(3)That this House thanks the women who took action to protect women and children from violence and all those who work to eliminate gender-based violence in our communities.

This motion recognises a remarkable group of women. Like so many remarkable women in history, there is a danger that their names may not be remembered. I outline what it is that they did and what we owe them for collectively, to make sure that those names are heard and that we remember them. Just this weekend past was the celebration of 50 years since a group of women took direct action to establish a women's refuge in Sydney. It took place in 1974. Those women understood and identified that there was a lack of support for women suffering from domestic violence. It is important to note that while we are very aware of the issue of domestic violence, while we talk a lot about it and understand the seriousness of it and the need for the types of support that we as a society should provide, we have to cast our minds back 50 years ago when that was not the case. In fact, many issues that affected women were not mainstream and it was groups of women like these that took direct action to ensure that we made progress.

In 1974 a group of women essentially broke into some derelict houses in Glebe and took them over in order to assist some of the most vulnerable women in the city at that stage. I recognise those women—Dr Anne Summers, Jennifer Dakers, Bessie Guthrie, Jozefa Sobski, Robyn Kemmis—and the many others who supported them. I will read an extract from a book by Anne Summers looking back on the establishment of the refuge after 25 years. She wrote:

It is not always obvious at the time that history is being made. Not when you are far too busy and inflamed with an idea whose time you hope has come to be peering into posterity, and when at least part of what you are doing is barely legal. You don't think much beyond the moment. Certainly none of us who founded Elsie Women's Refuge had any idea we had created a service that would prove to be so necessary. Elsie—

which was the name of one of the houses that the women broke into—

was truly an Australian original. Unlike many other initiatives of the Women's Liberation Movement, it was not a local version of an American import, and although there was a women's shelter in London the one we began owed nothing to it. Elsie was the work of a very small number of women initially, but soon became a cause that would involve thousands, many of whom have dedicated most of their working years to helping other women escape lives made intolerable by domestic violence.

I pay tribute to those women, in the same way that we pay tribute to other women who have broken ground for us, like the suffragettes and other women who have fought for our rights over time. I want them to be held in that pantheon, and I also reflect that what was seen at the time as radical action was absolutely necessary. It reminds us that things that seem radical at one moment in history sometimes—in fact, quite often—are proven to be exactly the course of action that is required. I again thank those women.

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (16:31): I commemorate 50 years since a group of determined women broke into two vacant houses in Glebe in an act of defiance against a system that failed to protect women and children escaping domestic violence. They did not know it at the time, but those six women created a shelter that not only shielded women and children from domestic violence but also sparked a nationwide movement altering our society's views on such atrocities.

As mentioned already, the six Australian trailblazers were Dr Anne Summers, Jennifer Dakers, Carole Baker, Margaret Power, Lina Clayton and Bessie Guthrie. It sounds archaic, but they used squatters' rights to transform those empty houses into what they called Elsie Women's Refuge. It was to become Australia's first women's refuge. As someone who has championed the rights of women, and always will, it is with considerable pride that I honour the former homes of the Elsie refuge being added to the State Heritage register. Little did those women know they would create history. They created a turning point that saved thousands of lives and helped countless families find safety.

As a Liberal member of this Parliament and the shadow Minister for Youth Justice, I place on record how proud I am of the previous Coalition Government. It delivered the largest ever funding commitment to the prevention of domestic violence—$787 million. That issue is close to my heart. I paid a visit to one of the core and cluster models in Armidale last month. It continues to serve the region well, as it has for the past 50 years. I also recently visited a development site in Tamworth for a similar facility.

I am proud to belong to the party that took the issue seriously and introduced landmark legal reforms. We criminalised coercive control, made changes to sexual consent laws and ensured that justice is served and that women are protected. I conclude by acknowledging the courageous and tireless work of those six women in 1974 who defied a disturbing societal trend and took action to safeguard women and children. Their legacy shows that change requires action, not just words. It is now incumbent upon all of us to honour that legacy by continuing their fight until every woman and child can live free from violence.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD (16:34): On behalf of The Greens, I support the motion. The establishment of the Elsie Women's Refuge 50 years ago represented a critical turning point in Australia's history—the first women's refuge, the consolidation of the second wave of modern, organised feminism in Australia and the birth of what we know today as the domestic and family violence sector. Elsie provided a respite for women escaping violence. It supplied food, sanitation and information, empowering women to make decisions for themselves and to reclaim their lives. Moreover, it was a safe place for women to confront and deal with their trauma alongside other victim‑survivors and support people, facilitating their healing and recovery.

In the early 1970s, the need for safe places for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence was growing. Elsie sought to fill that void by providing that safe space, run for women and by women, with the mission that one day there would be no need for refuges. Sadly, 50 years later, rates of gendered abuse and femicide have not decreased as hoped but instead continue to soar, with demand for women's refuges only increasing each day. In the early years Elsie relied entirely on volunteers to operate the refuge, with no legal protections for workers and perpetrators regularly seeking out the refuge and threatening violence against victim-survivors. Eventually Elsie secured pools of funding, as did future refuges established in later years.

Australia is now home to over 800 refuges and shelters that provide crisis accommodation and wraparound specialist support for countless victim-survivors. Although today's refuges certainly receive more funding than 50 years ago, State and Federal governments continue to largely ignore the demands of the sector to invest the levels of ongoing and sustainable core funding that is needed on the front line. The refuge movement is rooted in the fight for collective and inclusive liberation for all women—something that we cannot achieve without properly funding services and programs that are truly safe and accessible, including for women with disabilities, trans and queer women, First Nations women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and older women.

Adding Elsie to the New South Wales State Heritage register is a welcome and monumental signifier of Australia's refuge movement. It is a testament to the 50 years of growth, advocacy, support, dedication and commitment of the courageous domestic and family violence sector, which grew following the establishment of Elsie. However, it is also a timely reminder of how far we still have to go in eradicating violence against women and children. In passing the motion, we must reflect on Elsie's original mission: to create a world where refuges like Elsie are not required. For that to happen, we need far more than words and heritage listings. We need governments that are prepared to drive real, transformational change, to listen to victim-survivors and experts, and to deliver the services and programs that will one day end the scourge of domestic and family violence in our State.

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE (Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage) (16:37): Catie Gilchrist wrote for theDictionary of Sydney:

Armed only with broomsticks, shovels and energetic determination, they changed the locks to establish residency and claimed squatter's rights. On that day, 16 March, 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.

That quote is now attached to the fence of the building that was the Elsie refuge and is now social housing. This important motion recognises the history of the women's liberation movement in Sydney and the courageous tenacity of women who were very radical at the time and who decided that, rather than asking for permission, they would take the action that was needed to protect women and children from violence. It was a time when domestic and family violence was considered a private matter between a woman and her husband, which was not to be spoken of but to be ignored. There was nowhere for women to go.

As a result of the opening of Elsie refuge, literally thousands of people over many years went through the doors. One of those women whom we honoured last Sunday was author Mandy Sayer. I recommend her books. She told the story of the night that she escaped her stepfather with her mother and baby brother after they had seen her stepfather dragging her mother by the hair. In the rain in their pyjamas, they got in a cab and did not know where to go. But the cab drivers of Sydney knew that Elsie Women's Refuge was a safe place. Mandy and her family went to the police station to report the assaults, but in the middle of the night they were also taken in by the women of the Elsie refuge. Those women fed them, gave them a cup of tea and provided a safe place for Mandy, her brother and her mother for the first time in a long time. That is what women's refuges do.

Women's refuges recognise the impact of violence not just on women but also on their children. They recognise that they need to take people in at all hours of the day and night. They recognise the need for support, including helping people to get a pension or deal with Family Court matters. They provide the time and space for a person to heal from trauma before they find a place to go in the future. I am proud that Elsie Women's Refuge has been placed on the State Heritage Register. That was a good recommendation. It recognises the role of radical women. Particularly, I acknowledge the lesbian women involved in the refuge, who are part of the history of Sydney. Offering more than words, the Government is taking action by allocating $4 billion in the budget to build 8,700 homes, half of which will go to women escaping domestic violence. Another $230 million in new funding has been put forth to extend programs to eliminate violence in our community.

The Hon. Dr SARAH KAINE (16:40): In reply: I thank members for their contributions to debate on this motion. The Hon. Aileen MacDonald continues to demonstrate her commitment to issues that impact women, and I appreciate that. She reminded us that there is still a fight to be had some 50 years on. We should try to channel the spirit of those pioneering women. Ms Abigail Boyd gave us a sober reminder of the continuing demand for services like Elsie Women's Refuge. The Hon. Penny Sharpe highlighted something that can be difficult to understand. I was born 50 years ago, and what was accepted and expected in intimate relationships was very different at that time. The refuge was an important development in an environment where people did not understand the role society had in trying to keep women safe. The Hon. Penny Sharpe also noted the healing aspect of refuges such as Elsie refuge and those that have followed.

I commend the Government and the Minister for including this important landmark on the heritage list and making sure it is there for generations to come. Elsie Women's Refuge is not necessarily a joyful reminder of our past, but it is a reminder of the pioneering work of a particular group of women. That work continues. Those of us who are concerned with these issues must build on the foundations that were set down for us 50 years ago. The contributions to this debate reminded me that despite the differences between members and the fights we may have over policy issues, particularly on private members' day, there is a deep, true and shared commitment among members of this place to ensuring that women are kept safe and supporting the services that do that. I commend the motion to the House.

The PRESIDENT: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.