Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

As its name suggests, the main purpose of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was to educate the community as to the social costs of drunkenness and to encourage temperance. The organisation, which began towards the end of the nineteenth century, had branches in all Australian cities and became involved in other social issues such as women's rights, opposition to nuclear testing on Australian soil and Aboriginal welfare. Two of its committee members, Ada Bromham and Doris Blackburn, campaigned actively in support of women's rights, peace, and Aboriginal rights. The WCTU was affiliated to the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement in the 1960s.