The year 1903 saw the inhabitance of Guild Hall (formerly Hibernian Hall and now Storey Hall) by the Women’s Political Association.

Run by Vida Goldstein (pictured above), the Women’s Political Association strived to achieve the equality of the sexes in Melbourne, Victoria. The WPA inhabited the hall from 1903 to 1919 and in this time accomplished many admirable feats. They hosted feasts, rallies and women-only protests.

In 1917, they faced their greatest contribution when they decided to support the Waterside Workers who walked off the job in protest against rising prices.

The women of the WPA performed many tasks to aid these men, one such task including polishing and repairing their boots and shoes.

They also gave haircuts and trimmed the beards of the men who required it.

When World War I began, they played a major role in trying to get conscription abolished. They even went by the name the Women’s Peace Army as well as the Women’s Political Association, to show their support for anti-conscription.

Vida Goldstein played an integral role in not only educating the women who passed through the doors of Guild Hall, but also the men. She spent a large portion of time publicly speaking and hosting rallies where she informed those in attendance about the issues that women face in society and what they’re doing to counteract that. The most active members of the WPA, Vida Goldstein, Adela Pankhurst and Cecilia John, devoted themselves solely to peace propaganda through the WPA by means of a newspaper that they created, titled The Woman Voter.

The women of the WPA spent a lot of time also collecting donations for anyone in need, especially during the Waterside Workers Strike where they raised more than 15,000 pounds for them. In the time that they provided services for these men, they also supplied 60,000 food parcels; 30,000 meals; 6,500 haircuts and distributed 30,000 items of clothing and repaired 2,000 boots.

In today’s society, feminism has come a long way. All women are entitled to be able to study at whatever institution they so choose, as well as getting into whatever workforce they so desire. That being said, there is still an underlying current of male superiority that runs through society. 42% of all homelessness in Australia is due to domestic violence and predominantly women are the victims. There are still those who believe women don’t deserve the rights that all other humans are entitled to. This is ever-changing, but the efforts of Vida Goldstein and all modern-day feminists are not over yet.

Eventually, the WPA disbanded in 1919, with all the women going on to take on their own endeavours. Vida Goldstein accepted an invitation to represent Australian women at a Women’s Peace Conference in Zurich. This was to be a three-year absence abroad and so, her public involvement with Australian feminism gradually ended and her publications ceased print. Despite all this, Vida continued to campaign for a multitude of public causes and continued to believe and vocalise the importance of women in society.

Vida Goldstein has a metal made seat dedicated to her in her hometown of Portland, Victoria. The words engraved into it represent everything that Vida believed in in her efforts during her life. These works of courageousness will never be forgotten and each day, those who study in, the now, Storey Hall, can be thankful to her for she helped to pave the way for women’s place in Victoria.