History

YWCA NSW HistoryYWCA in NSW is now 130 years old, having been established in Sydney in 1880. This makes it the second oldest not for profit in Australia.

 

YWCA began in Great Britain in 1855, established by Lady Kinnaird and Miss Emma Roberts to provide a safe haven for homeless women and girls.

 

The YWCA's values and commitment to the social, economic and political equality of women remain central to its work today and are reflected in the programs and services currently offered by 132 YWCA's globally.

 

In Australia, the YWCA was established as YWCA of Sydney in 1880 by Mary Jane Barker, the wife of the then Sydney Bishop Frederick Barker.

 

As a pioneer community service organisation, YWCA NSW (then YWCA NSW HistoryYWCA of Sydney) was responsible for a number of firsts including:

 

  • First Home for women immigrating to Australia in 1881
  • First Employment Agency for Women in 1890
  • First Travelers Aid Program in 1903
  • First savings bank for women in 1904
  • First Cafeteria for city workers
  • First Women's Gymnasium in 1912
  • First Australian League of Honour in 1914
  • First Women to play organised Hockey and rowing
  • First Women's Cricket and Hockey Teams

History of Achievements

 

1939-1944

Assisted thousands of service men and women through the Open House Program.

 

YWCA NSW History1945 -1960

Played a major role in addressing the position of women in society including issues of discrimination and equal opportunity women including education, citizenship and suffrage.

 

1972

Began working in the newly established Mount Druitt Estate to provide day care, after school activities and special programs for the unemployed.

 

1978

Established the first Big Sister Big Brother Mentoring Program in Australia.

 

1985

Opened Refuge Houses in Ashfield and Lewisham to house homeless women and their children.

 

1993

YWCA’S Emergency Housing Service established and receives its first government SAAP funding through Department of Community Services.

 

1994

  • One of the first organisations to become a Registered Training Organisation.
  • Began the Business Women of Today Breakfasts to promote women’s contribution to business and to provide access to role models for young women.

 

1996

  • The YWCA Encore, a unique gentle exercise program for women recovering from breast cancer, commenced in NSW in 1996. It now reaches 20-25% of all women diagnosed in a total of 35 locations across the state, from Central Sydney all the way to Broken Hill.
  • 1996 developed the first continuous abuse prevention education program for teenagers. To date this has been presented to almost 30,000 young people in 11 within the Shoalhaven and Wingecarribee areas.
  • YWCA commences delivering services within the Shoalhaven region, including Job Placement Employment and Training (JPET).

 

1997

Started YWCA's Homeless Brokerage Program, in an innovative partnership with City of Sydney Council as to meet the needs of homeless people in Sydney. 2 Houses acquired under the Office of Community Housing for the YWCA’s Emergency Accommodation Service.

 

1998

  • Established the Week Without Violence Public Awareness Campaign.
  • Established a partnership with New Woman Magazine to actively promote positive body image through the No Diet Day Campaign.
  • Major refurbishment of our inner city property to convert from a hostel to a quality budget hotel.

 

1999

  • The YWCA NSW assumes management of the Nowra based Domestic Violence Support Service and the Nowra Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Scheme. To date almost 3,000 women have been supported.
  • Minster John Fahey launches the YWCA's new Employment and Training Facilities in Campbelltown, Camden and Picton.
  • Y on the Park Hotel becomes one of the leading budget hotels in the city 2000.
  • The YWCA stages the highly successful ‘From whale bone corsets to g-strings’ a fashion parade of ‘real women’ that affirmed that beauty, health and fitness comes in all shapes and sizes as part of its new Celebrate Your Body Campaign.
  • A partnership is established with Tyco International to grow and promote the YWCA’s Big Sister Big Brother Program.
  • YWCA and Woolworth’s join forces to implement programs that support families and children in Lismore 2001.
  • Lend Lease donates four large demountables for our Parramatta site – two to house Community Programs and the other two are developed as a high quality Childcare Centre.

 

2002

  • Established a ground breaking partnership with Citigroup to address financial literacy education for children and families across Australia.
  • Long Day Childcare Centre opened in Parramatta to meet the growing need for childcare places.
  • Funding for the Homeless Brokerage Service significantly increased under a new contractual arrangement with the City of Sydney as a result YWCA becomes one of the leading providers of homeless services in Sydney.
  • Alcoa donates a 4 bedroom house to the YWCA’s Emergency Accommodation Service to be used as an exit house for refuge families.
  • The YWCA receives a 1.5 million dollar bequest from Gerda Schon. The Hotel undergoes another major refurbishment converting rooms to ensuite facilities.

 

2003

  • Launched the comprehensive Research Report on Socio Economic Needs and the Social Services Landscape in NSW.
  • YWCA makes further commitment to Shoalhaven community with the purchase of the building at McGrath Ave.
  • Finance First a partnership between YWCA NSW and Citigroup is launched to bring financial education to primary school children and their parents.
  • Established the first Nowra Domestic Violence After Hours Service to operate out of Nowra Police Station.
  • The YWCA conducts a successful campaign highlighting the plight of refugees as part of the YWCA’s Week Without Violence.
  • YWCA’s Youth Services starts an innovative range of enterprise based education programs for young peopler In the Shoalhaven.
  • NSW Health commits to funding Encore throughout NSW.

 

2004

  • Launched Y It Takes a Village - a new community wide, collaborative model of Service Delivery to overcome generational disadvantage in Lismore, Nowra and Campbelltown.
  • Rachel Ward raises $500,000 for the YWCA’s Big Sister Big Brother Program through the first Mother of All Balls.
  • Further funding to the YWCA’s Emergency Accommodation service allows for the delivery of a Weekly Living Skills and Parenting Programs in the refuges.
  • Chosen by the Department of Family and Community Services to pilot the Communities for Children Project in Lismore.
  • The Shoalhaven Youth Enterprise Project produces a Cookbook for all parents called What’s Cooking Good Lookin’.

 

2005

  • Celebrated 125 years of women’s Contribution to the Community at a reception hosted by the then Premier Bob Carr and a High Tea with the Governor John Landy at Admiralty House.
  • 2005 launched the Radiance Club a new Health and Wellbeing Initiative for professional women to nurture their mind, body and spirit.
  • The Mother of All Balls is another huge success attracting considerable publicity and funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
  • Finance First wins the State Prime Ministers Award for Community Partnerships.
  • Win the Communities for Children Project for Murwillumbah.
  • Luke Lewis becomes the Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
  • Noni Hazlehurst becomes the Ambassador for Finance First.
  • Picton Employment is ranked first in the Macarthur Area.
  • Shoalhaven Training Services Work for the Dole Project produces Mum Dad Baby an excellent resource for young parents focusing on life skills.
  • Encore After Breast Cancer Program Launches Indigenous Program.
  • Shoalhaven Creative Re-use Action Project (SCRAP) Shop opens in Bomaderry selling clean re-usable materials donated by local Shoalhaven businesses.

 

2006

  • Encore launches in Armidale taking the number of locations to 30.
  • Picton Employment Services achieves a 4.5 star rating.

 

2007

  • Our Employment & Training Service is Launched from Campbelltown.
  • Purchased the YWCA NSW site in Goonellabah, cementing our committment in the Northern Rivers region

 

2008

  • Renegotiated and retained the Homeless Brokerage contract with the City of Sydney
  • Retained the Communities for Children contract with the Federal Government Department FaHCSIA, Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

 

2009

  • Retained the Job Services Australia contract from Job Futures
  • Commenced our Breakfast Buddies program at 2 schools in Sydney that provide exercise and healthy eating for primary school students, supported by volunteer mentors
  • Awarded funding for the Goonellabah Transition Program from 2009-2011 to support Aboriginal families and their children so they are confident and equipped to start kindergarten.
  • Held our 1st Mother of All Lunches, raising funds for women escaping domestic violence

 

2010

  • We celebrate our 130th birthday!
  • Launched Money Savvy, a one day financial education workshop for students in Years 10 & 11 in partnership with HSBC
  • Launched the Green Trading Company in the Shoalhaven supported by seed funding from the Federal Government's Jobs Fund 2 get Communities Working.
  • Launched Pulse Cafe in Lismore n partnership with the Northern Rivers Conservatorium Arts Centre and TAFE NSW
  • Our Yummy Cafe in Campbelltown wins Best Cafe at the Macarthur Chronicle Local Business Awards for the second year in a row.