Lunch Hour Talks
Lunch Hour Talk 16 April 2026
Thursday 16 April 2026
Speaker: Dr Kate Laing
Topic: Sisters in Peace – Women and Pacifism in Australia
Is preparing for war the best means of preserving peace? This question has never been solely the concern of politicians and strategists. In 1915, during the First World War, the Women’s International Congress at The Hague was convened after alarmed and bereaved women from both sides of the conflict insisted that their opinions on war and the pathway to peace be heard. From this gathering emerged the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), which to this day campaigns against militarism and nuclear weapons. In Australia, the formation of a section of WILPF connected political women to a worldwide network that sustained their anti-war activism. This talk will focus on the history of WILPF in Australia and an exploration of how their archives were collected and made accessible.
Dr Kate Laing received her PhD from La Trobe University and has published on Australian feminist history in peer-reviewed journals. She has worked at various universities teaching Australian history and as a researcher and project officer. She is currently working as an historian at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the historical publications section that publishes Documents on Australian Foreign Policy.
Where – The meeting room at the Customs House Library, at Circular Quay. 31 Alfred St – at Circular Quay, opposite the station. Take the lift (back LH corner of the foyer) to the second floor.
When – The talk will begin at 12.15, The room is open from 11.30 for tea/coffee/sandwiches.
Entry – $20 JSNWL members $25 non-members
PLEASE BOOK BY NOON Monday 13 April 2026
Phone the library on (02) 9571 5359 or email
Lunch Hour Talk 19 February 2026
Thursday 19 February 2026
Speaker: Sharron Sillett
Topic: The Dinosaur’s Roar
The Dinosaur’s Roar – A Collective Memoir documents the lived experiences of women who worked in women’s refuges across New South Wales from the early 1970s through to 2014
In 2014 women’s refuges in NSW as we knew them ceased to be and hundreds of women who had dedicated their lives to women and children fleeing violence were made redundant. Without so much as a farewell, women who were weary from a decade or so of struggle against these changes locked the doors on their refuges and were forced to hand over the keys to large faith-based organisations who had been awarded the contracts to take over.
Refuges that were established by feminists in the late 70’s were seen as outdated and some of the longer-serving workers were being referred to as dinosaurs.
A small group of these dinosaurs gather each year to reminisce and retain the connection that has endured for almost 40 years. They decided that their experiences deserved to be recorded so that their stories didn’t die with them. These stories chronicle the highs & lows of working alongside women escaping violence and the gradual demise of the movement. Are women & children better off following the government’s radical reforms?
Where – The meeting room at the Customs House Library, at Circular Quay. 31 Alfred St – at Circular Quay, opposite the station. Take the lift (back LH corner of the foyer) to the second floor.
When – The talk will begin at 12.15, The room is open from 11.30 for tea/coffee/sandwiches.
Entry – $20 JSNWL members $25 non-members
PLEASE BOOK BY NOON Monday 13 October 2025
Phone the library on (02) 9571 5359 or email
