Marrickville Women's Refuge
Marrickville Women's Refuge, also known as Jean's Place, was a women's support facility formally opened in April 1976. It was one of the earliest refuges to open in New South Wales as part of the original NSW Women's Refuge Movement in response to the need for specialised feminist housing and support services for women and children fleeing domestic violence, following that of Elsie Refuge and Bonnie Women's Refuge. Today, the refuge operates as a company limited by guarantee with the name Marrickville Women's Refuge Ltd, and is registered as a public benevolent institution. The refuge, whilst still known as Marrickville Women's Refuge, has been trading as the Aboriginal Women and Children's Crisis Service since 1 November 2014, after the implementation of the 'Going Home Staying Home' tendering program in New South Wales. History In January 1974, Vivien Johnson and Kate Jennings, on behalf of a small group of women from the Marrickville area part of the Marrickville Women's Refuge Collective, submitted a letter to the Minister for Security at the time, Bill Hayden, expressing their desire to establish a refuge in the Marrickville municipality. The letter detailed the establishment of the refuge and made a request for government assistance: We