| Creator: |
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| Earliest: |
1887 |
| History : |
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria was formed in 1887 from the many scattered local temperance unions then flourishing in the colony. It was affiliated with the World's WCTU established in the USA in 1874, adopting from the parent organisation its symbol: the White Ribbon Bow, its motto: "For God, and Home, and Native Land", and its aims: to educate the young in the perils of liquor, to reform drinkers, to influence public thinking and to agitate for legislation against the liquor trade. Woman's Christian Temperance Unions were formed in other colonies of Australia during the 1880s, and in 1891 the colonial unions federated into a National Union. In its belief that the dangers of alcohol could not be tackled in isolation, the WCTU pursued a very wide-ranging reform agenda. Issues tackled by its various Departments of Work included prison reform, female suffrage, early childhood education, peace and arbitration, indigenous disadvantage. In recent years, the WCTU has turned its attention to drug education, anti-smoking and gambling strategies and to the campaign against drink-driving. |
| Activities/Occupation: |
Temperance organisations, Welfare organisations |
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