Women's Studies Resource Centre (1975 - )

In 1973, the first national conference on Sexism in Education was convened by the Women’s Liberation Movement, fuelled by concern for the position of women and girls in society and Women’s Studies courses were established at Flinders and Adelaide Universities. Teachers and Students quickly became aware of a shortage of materials in this area and a group of women educators began meeting in 1974 to redress this. In July 1975 the Women’s Studies Resource Centre was established at Wattle Park Teachers College funded by a grant from the Australian National Advisory Committee for International Women’s Year. After moving several times the WSRC relocated to its present address in the suburb of North Adelaide.

The WSRC’s primary function is to provide resources that counter sexist assumptions in society while also providing non-sexist women’s studies, gender studies and feminist materials.

The collection contains over 18000 items including fiction, non-fiction, videos, DVDs, CDs, cassettes, posters, journals and teaching kits. It also holds extensive records concerning many key women’s groups and organizations such as the Women’s Art Movement, Women’s Liberation Movement, Women’s Electoral Lobby, Rape Crisis Centre, and the St Peters and Hindmarsh Women’s Community Health Centres. There are also a number of items from specific issue groups such as Women Against Nuclear Energy, Association of Country and City Women Writers, Women’s Abortion Action Campaign, and Women’s Action Against Global Violence. These records take the form of minutes, financial records, submissions, articles, photographs, posters, pamphlets, constitutions, newsletters and more. Many significant activists are also represented such as Anna Yeatman, Anne Summers, and Jill Matthews. These records are mainly housed in filing cabinets and not all have been itemised. Additionally the collection contains many sensitive papers and so access and publishing permission must be sought.

The WSRC opening hours are Mon - Wed & Fri 1pm - 5pm, Thurs 10am - 6pm. .