General News
14 June, 2024
Securing a social treasure
Warracknabeal and District Ladies’ Rest Rooms are unveiling the plaque which illustrates their heritage listing
Warracknabeal and District Ladies’ Rest Rooms on Scott Street have been a firm fixture in the memory of many locals for many years, and now, the “something old” will feature something new - a plaque recognising the historical significance of the building and its contents.
The site and its contents were nominated for listing by Heritage Victoria last July, and granted the status in October, ensuring the rooms will remain immune to the progression of time, protecting its form and function.
During the 1920’s there was a new understanding of public health and the benefits of cleanliness, and at the same time, women were wanting “conveniences that safeguarded their decency” - conveniences not located in hotels, garages, or other places deemed inappropriate for women and children to enter.
In order to address these two social developments, local women formed a committee and, chaired by Mrs H. Hewitt, undertook two years of fundraising to build the Rest Rooms for the women living in the surrounding districts.
Many Rest Rooms of the 1920’s to the 1940’s no longer exist, or have that their purpose altered, but the Warracknabeal facilities were, and still are, a dedicated space for women to change nappies, feed babies, or sit for a spell while in town with young children.
The official heritage listing of the “toilets” as a social treasure
The plaque provided by Heritage Victoria, installed on June 14, is dedicated to the generations of women who, from its opening in August 1928 to the present day, have valued the facility, tirelessly working to ensure it provides the services for which it was built 96 years ago.
The committee is still comprised entirely of local women, as it did back in 1928.
Any ladies interested in being a part of this historical facility as a committee nominee is encouraged to contact them.