War Widows' Guild of Australia - South Australia Inc

War Widows’ Guild South Australia

After World War II, Prime Minister John Curtin included the War Widows Pension as part of his post-war re-construction agenda, but the pension granted was still well below the basic wage and most war widows, especially those with small children still lived in near poverty. Nothing had been done by anyone about this dilemma since World War I, until 1945 when Jessie Mary Vasey widow of Major General George Alan Vasey, established the War Widows Guild in Victoria which quickly spread nation-wide.

Mrs. Vasey fought long and hard for the pension to be seen as compensation and that it was adequate for the lives given that were war caused or service related. Under her leadership the Guild became a powerful lobby group and still influences the government on such issues as pensions and health care so that every widow and her dependent family can maintain a dignified standard of living

To ensure that the benefits gained are not lost, the Guild must remain vigilant.

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