After the 1974 International Women’s Day celebration, a group of women established the first women’s refuge in Australia, now Elsie Refuge for Women and Children, a member refuge of the NSW Women’s Refuge Movement (WRM). Other refuges were soon established, funded solely by community donations. It took until January 1985 for refuges to receive secure funding.

Throughout its history, the WRM has had significant input into improving the overall responses to women and children escaping domestic violence and sexual abuse through representation on government and interagency working groups, steering committees and advisory councils to provide advice and influence policy and legislation. 

The WRM is now a statewide representative body of 57 refuges with a specific focus on providing consistent quality support for women and children escaping domestic violence. The WRM has been used as a major advocate and resource for women and children’s refuges in NSW.