Joan Bielski papers, 1968-2004

MLMSS 9155

fonds

1968-2004

Textual Records, Clippings, Ephemera, Photographs

448226

2.56 metres of textual material (16 boxes), some files contain photographs

Joan Bielski (1923-2012) was an activist for equality for women in employment, education and public life. After graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in 1949, she worked as a teacher for the NSW Dept of Education, teaching History, English, Geography and Economics until 1974.

In the 1960s she worked on migrant welfare issues and was a member of a committee which led to the founding of the Council for Civil Liberties. In the early 1970s she became involved in local resident advocacy, eventually becoming the New South Wales president of Resident Action Groups. In 1972, she was a founding member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby Australia (WEL) which successfully lobbied for the enactment of anti-discrimination legislation and also for reforms for women in relation to child care, employment, poverty, divorce law, inheritance taxes and education.

In 1975 and 1976 Joan worked as Research Officer for the Royal Commission on Human Relationships. From 1977 until her retirement in 1984 Joan was an adviser to the NSW Ministry of Education on discrimination and equal opportunity for women and girls in the education system and in the late 1980s Joan was commissioned by the Ministry of Education to make a study of the education and working experience of women engineers to promote the accessibility for women to similar professions and the implications for teachers and educators.

In 1988, Joan Bielski was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to women and girls, especially in education. In 1992 she persuaded WEL to organize a coalition of women's organizations to form Women into Politics Inc. (WIP), with the objective of increasing the number of women in Australian parliaments. She was Secretary of WIP from 1992 to 2006.

References:
Tanya Plibersek. Federal Member for Sydney. http://tanyaplibersek.com/2012/08/speech-remembering-joan-bielski/ (accessed 12 September, 2013)
Community Justice Coalition. http://www.communityjusticecoalition.org/home/cjc-signatories/joan-bielski (accessed 7 October, 2013)
Library Correspondence File

1968-2004; Personal papers of Joan Bielski including files, papers presented at conference etc., papers written by Bielski, newscuttings, correspondence, published articles. (Call No.: Box 9 to part of Box 10)
1992-2003; Papers relating to Women into Politics including submissions, correspondence, minutes, material relating to annual dinners, local government elections, and conferences. This material was presented to the Library by Joan Bielski as secretary/agent of Women into Politics. (Call No.: Box 1 to Box 8)
1969-1999; Papers relating to Women's Electoral Lobby including correspondence, newsletters, material relating to education, child care, women's welfare, health, abortion and marriage, conferences, discrimination, equal pay, federal elections, the Melinda Leves case and women engineers. (Call No.: Part of Box 10- Box 16)
Charlie Francis Bull, his life and line

Partly restricted: Applies to MLMSS 9155/ Boxes 15 and 16, Expiry Date: 2018-12-31
For access to this collection please submit your request through Ask a Librarian: Restriction expires 2018

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Approval for reproduction required: From multiple copyright owners
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2013-2014

A detailed contents list is available from the Manuscripts Section.