Lesbian & Perth Writings of the Past

Written By Lavender .

As a lover of second-hand bookstores, many of us at the Perth Lesbian Archive (PLA) spend hours upon hours slowly scanning the dusty shelves for any hint of lesbian or feminist related texts. I’m always surprised at how often we are lucky in finding relevant books.

A recent trip to the University of Western Australia proved quite fruitful! Not only do they regularly have book sales in collaboration with the Save the Children charity, but they recently opened up a second-hand bookstore in the Arts Building called ‘Peacock Books’ (a collaboration between the Arts Union, Student Guild, School of Humanities and School of Social Sciences).

I and another PLA volunteer spent quite some time perusing the collection and discovered several excellent feminist books (and a subsequent dent in our respective bank accounts). One of which is Gisela Kaplan’s Spectrum: A Bibliography of Women in Australia, 1945 to the Present (1995) published by Women’s Redress Press. Inside was a treasure trove of feminist, women-centred, and lesbian texts from Australia’s past, some of which we had heard of or read, but many of which we had no clue!

Our personal copy of Gisela Kaplan’s Spectrum: A Bibliography of Women in Australia, 1945 to the Present (1995). Women’s Redress Press.

As PLA works toward collecting and preserving Perth’s lesbian past (and present), we believe it’s beneficial to share the discoveries we make along the way. I know that I would have loved to have found this book when I began researching local lesbian history. So, for all those feminist and lesbian history-lovers out there, I hope you find this list useful!

Below is a snapshot of the book, listing only Perth related and/or Lesbian related texts, organised under the subheadings used by Kaplan.

General References: Specialised Bibliographies/Catalogues/Literature Reviews (p. 17-20):

  • Women’s Electoral Lobby WA and le Guier, Margaret (1985) Register of Funding Sources for Women, Perth: Women’s Electoral Lobby

Australian Women’s/Feminist Journals/Magazines/Newsletters (p. 23-31):

  • Against the Cauldron (1980) A Perth Wimmin’s Liberation Magazine, Perth: Wimmin’s Liberation P.

  • Broadsheet, Women’s Electoral Lobby (WA) Perth, WA

  • Dawn, Perth: Women’s Service Guilds of WA, 1918-1959

  • Desert Dykes, Alice Springs, 1993

  • Girl About Town, West Perth, WA

  • Grapevine, Perth: Grapevine, 1980-1981 [handwritten on the page: - 2000s]

  • Lesbian Network

  • Lesbian News, Melbourne, 1983-

  • Lesbian Times

  • Lesbiana

  • Lesbianon, Nedlands, WA, 1974-75

  • Lesbians on the Loose, Sydney, 1990-

  • Liberation Information, Perth: Women’s Liberation of Western Australia, 1973-74

  • Liberation Notes, Perth: Wemen’s Liberation of Western Australia

  • Lilac, Newsletter of Tasmanian Lesbians (1993)

  • Peace and Freedom, Perth: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

  • Politics of Sex, Sexuality and Class. A new feminist-homosexual journal, Sydney, 1976-

  • Queensland Pride, Queensland’s First Gay and Lesbian Newspaper

  • Queer Collaborations Magazine, 1992-

  • Sapphic Woman, Nedlands, WA: Sapphic Woman

  • Sappho of the Hunter

  • Sibyl, Nedlands, WA: University of Western Australia Women’s Group, 1975-

  • W.A. Woman, Inglewood, WA: Duncan & Lamb, 1978

General Texts: Lesbian Women (General) / Gay & Lesbian Liberation Movement (p. 67-70):

  • ‘A Radicalesbian Lifestyle’ (1974) Refractory Girl, no.5, Summer: 12-15

  • Altman, Dennis (1972) Homosexual, Sydney: Angus & Robertson

  • ‘As Feminists, As Lesbians, As Mothers: An Interview’ (1976), Scarlet Woman, no.4, July: 20

  • Australian Union of Students (1978) Attitudes and Experiences of Lesbians and Male Homosexual Students in Tertiary Education, Homosexual Research Project Melbourne, Chris Hobson for Australian Union of Students, Shepparton, VIC: Waterwheel Press

  • Australian Union of Students, Women’s Dept (1977) Homosexuality: An Action and Resource Guide for Tertiary Students, Carlton, VIC: Women’s Dept AUS

  • Bebbington, Laurie (1974) ‘Minto Lesbian Conference’, Refractory Girl, no.5, Summer: 6-7

  • Bednall, I. & J. Court (1975) Submission to the South Australia Parliament. Subject: Homosexual Law Reform, [prepared for Community Standards Organisation with Festival of Light (SA Branch)]

  • Bradstock, Margaret et al. (eds) (1983) Edge city on two different plans: A collection of lesbian and gay writing from Australia, Leichhardt: Sydney Gay Writer’s Collective

  • Bradstock, Margaret & Wakeling, Louise (eds) (1987) Words from the same heart, Sydney: Hale & Iremonger

  • Burgmann, Verity (1993) ‘Lesbian Liberation’, in Power and Protest. Movements for change in Australian Society, V. Burgmann, Sydney: Allen & Unwin: 169-176

  • Clarke, Peggy (1974) ‘Women Living Together’, Refractory Girl, no.5, Summer: 9-10

  • Female Homosexuality (1975) Sydney: Camp

  • George, Emily (1984) Loose Women, Melbourne: Dyke Books

  • Jennings, K. (1975) Mother I’m Rooted, Melbourne: Outback Press

  • Kingston, Bev (1974) ‘Lesbianism and Feminist Theory’, Refractory Girl, no.5, Summer 3-5

  • Lavender (ed.) (1990) What is Lesbian Discrimination. Proceedings of a Forum held by the Anti-Discrimination Board (Oct. 1987), Sydney: Anti-Discrimination Board, March

  • ‘Lesbians and Their Girlfriends’ (1974) Refractory Girl, no.6, Autumn: 40-42

  • ‘Lesbians on the loose in Sydney: Results of a survey on the sexual preferences and activities of women at Curtin University of Technology’ (1991) [presented at the Lesbian Conference and Cultural Festival, Sydney], Westside Observer, no.49, Oct:22-23

  • McLellan, Betty (1990) ‘Ethics of Sexual Preference’, National Women’s Conference Proceedings, Canberra: Write People: 170-72

  • ‘Manifesto of the Socialist Homosexuals’ (1976) Lot’s Wife, 2 Aug.: 15

  • Morrison, A. (1978) ‘Gay Rights March’, Sisters, Winter: 29

  • Otto, Dianne (1976) ‘Bars, Ghettos and Dykes’, Scarlet Woman, vol.4, July: 23-25

  • Pierce, Claudia & Marr, Beth (1979) Lesbian Resources Directory 1979, Melbourne: Lesbian Action Group

  • Refractory Girl, no.5, Summer 1974, [special issue on lesbianism]

  • Riley, Elizabeth (1975) All that false instruction, Sydney: Angus & Robertson

  • Ross, Liz (1988) ‘Escaping the Well of Loneliness’ in Staining the Wattle. A People’s History of Australia Since 1788, eds V. Burgmann and J. Lee, Fitzroy, VIC: McPhee Gribble: 100-108

  • Ross, Liz (1976) ‘Lesbian Demands’, Scarlet Woman, no.4., July: 3

  • Shambles, S. (1976) ‘Lesbian Nightmare’, Scarlet Woman, no.4, July: 7-10

  • Sitka, Chris (1990) ‘There’s a skeleton in the closet’ National Women’s Conference Proceedings, Canberra: Write People: 174-176

  • Scarlet Woman, Socialist Feminist Magazine, no.4, July 1976, [special issue on lesbianism]

  • Thompson, Denise (1992) Reading Between the Lines: A Lesbian Feminist Critique of Feminist Accounts of Sexuality, Leichhardt, NSW: The Gorgon’s Head Press

  • Whelan, Dominica (1978) ‘Lesbian Mothers and Custody Rights’, in Lesbian Newsletter [Melbourne], no.11, July: 11-14

  • Wills, Sue (1975) ‘The Psychologist and the Lesbian’, Refractory Girl, no.9, Winter: 41-45

Tell us what you think of the list. Are there any obvious lesbian and/or Perth-based works that are missing? Did you contribute to any of the texts listed above?

Lavender .