Ellie Crookes and Emma Darragh, the recipients of the Liz Hilton Fellowship for 2024/25, are currently midway through a research project focused on Women’s Rights Advocacy in the Illawarra (1970-2025).
This project sets out to uncover the neglected history of women’s advocacy movements in the Illawarra from the 1970s to the present day, using the ‘Women Illawarra’ archives held within UOW Library as the base.
“Fruitful” finds in the UOW Archives
At the end of April, Crookes and Darragh completed their initial examination and cataloguing of the materials available to them in the archive, including ephemera and documents (38 boxes, 11 folders and posters) and have found the archive to be “endlessly fruitful”.
The resources contained in the archive have also inspired Crookes and Darragh to refine the scope of their research project, centering it on the intersection of creative practice and women’s activism with an exclusive focus on the Women Illawarra organisation.
“There is an abundance of fascinating material in the archive,” state the researchers, “and we have gathered even more in conversation with Women Illawarra members; consequently, we have decided to narrow the scope of our project to this organisation alone. Women Illawarra will now function as a case study.”
The decision to focus on creative practice also emerged from Crookes and Darragh’s expertise and experience as a literary scholar and a Creative Writing scholar and writer. They reported that “the discovery of so many fascinating creative works in the archive [functions] as activist praxis. This revised focus draws to the surface an innovative and underexamined element of feminist activism: creative expression.”
What’s next for the project
In addition to the planned scholarly works, creative works, and an exhibition, the researchers are adding a Creative Writing workshop with volunteers and members of the current Women Illawarra organisation, stating: “This [allows us] to give back to the organisation, while also allowing us to conduct informal group interviews with members and staff.”
Crookes and Darragh are currently undergoing the HREC approval process to ensure that the project maintains adherence to ethical research practice.
The project has generated considerable public interest to date, including engagement with local community members, media and council, an article in Region Illawarra in March 2025, and an appearance as panellists for the International Women’s Day celebrations at Shellharbour Library. The project aims to complete scholarly articles and creative works for publication in early 2026, with the exhibition planned for a future date.
UOW Library is incredibly excited that the Archives have supported and shaped the development of the project in such a positive way and look forward to seeing the continued progress of the research.
For more information about the project or the Liz Hilton Fellowship, please contact Georgina Konstanta, Acting Director Library Services, on gkonstan@uow.edu.au.