A brief history

On 29 September 1988, 350 women gathered together in the basement of the Footscray Community Arts Centre in Melbourne's western suburbs to celebrate the launch of the first Government-funded Women's Health Service in Victoria by Victorian Health Minister David White.

The launch involved women of many ages and from a diverse range of cultural and social backgrounds, from those prominent in public life to those making a quieter, though no less important contribution in the home, workplace and community.

Prior to this time, the particular health needs of women had attracted little recognition in government health policy. The few women's health services which did exist survived in the absence of government funding and relied largely on the volunteer efforts of Victorian women.

In 1985, the then Minister for Health established the Ministerial Women's Health Working Party to investigate women's health issues and to recommend measures to improve health services for women in Victoria. The report of the Working Party, released in 1987, recommended that a number of 'stand alone' women's health services be established.

The Footscray celebration marked the culmination of decades of hard work by many women and the beginning of an era in which women's specific health needs would receive appropriate attention in government funding programs and in health policy.

A year later, the Victorian Government allocated funding for the development of the first regional Women's Health Service, now known as Women's Health West.

Following the release of its National Women's Health Policy in 1989, the Federal Government granted funding for the development of a four-year program on a cost shared basis with the states to include the establishment of special Women's Health Services. This enabled the Victorian Government to fulfil its commitment to establish a Women's Health Service in each of the health regions.

Since 1989, Women's Health West has also hosted the Western Region Family and Domestic Violence Service, offering information, referral and a wide range of crisis, prevention and other support services for women and children affected by family violence. Since opening, Women's Health West has grown from a staff of four to be Victoria's biggest women's health service, with around 30 staff and a budget of $1.7million.