- From
- 1974
Hindmarsh, South Australia, Australia - To
- 1989
Hindmarsh , South Australia, Australia - Occupations
- health service
- Alternative Names
- Mary St (subsequent name)
- Welling Place (abrreviated name)
- Women's Community Health Centre
Summary
Hindmarsh Women's Community Health Centre was the first women's health centre in South Australia. The Women's Liberation Movement recognised the need for a separate women's health centre from the number of health related calls and personal enquiries it received and lobbied the government for assistance. Funding was granted in 1974 and 6 Mary St, Hindmarsh was offically open in 1976. The Health Centre became a teaching centre for women's health in late 1975 and produced pamphlets on both general and gynaecological health. The Rape Crisis Centre evolved from the Health Centre.
Funding came through the state government and as a result there were some clashes between the bureaucracy and the feminist executive over how the centre should be run. This was further complicated by the clashing politics of the various feminist groups involved in the centre, which was run by a feminist collective. Conflict with the State Health Department eventially lead to the withdrawal of funding.
After the intervention of the Women's Adviser to the Premier, who argued the case for the need for specialised women's health services, the centre was moved to North Adelaide and became Women's Health Statewide. The Centre then became known as the Welling Place, providing alternative health including a vegtable patch for the community. 6 Mary St was demolished in 1989 to make way for the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.



The real reason for the move of the health centre to North Adelaide was a change of government from Labor to Liberal. The liberal government demanded a change in the constitution of the health centre to meet more with their politics. There was a division in the views of the workers at the centre and the supporters. Perhaps wrongly but certainly with much passion it broke the autonomous organisation apart. The Hindmarsh centre continued for a few years as an unfunded body with donations, voluntary work, and the strong support of a few feminist doctors.
sylvia kinder - 24 July 2010, 11:35 PM EST
Dear Sylvia, Many thanks for providing this information. I'll draw it to the attention of our South Australian researchers.
AWAP Administrator - 2 August 2010, 2:20 PM EST