Historical information

Two letters on Melbourne Legacy letterhead to Mrs Lois Hurse, the War Widows' Guild president in 1970. The address showed the Guild was also known as The Vasey Housing Auxiliary (War Widows' Guild) Ltd. Both letters discuss the 45 bed nursing home that the Guild was establishing in Church Street Brighton. One is signed by the Executive Officer Ivan Layton and the other by EP Evans the Hon. Secretary. The letters were returned to Legacy by the Guild when the Guild closed.
The War Widows Guild was founded by Mrs J M Vasey, the wife of Major-General Vasey. During the second world war she became secretary of the AIF Women's Association, a body which sought to help soldiers' wives. Her work with this body drew her attention to the plight of war widows. After Major-General George Alan Vasey died in an aircraft accident on 5 March 1945 she became a widow herself. At the end of the war Mrs Vasey founded the War Widows Guild.
The Victorian War Widows Guild closed in 2021. Some items, including this letter, were donated to the Legacy archive for preservation - it shows a close bond between the two organisations. It was possible for a widow to be members of both Legacy and the War Widows Guild. Both organisations helped war widows in various ways.

Significance

A record of a close link between Legacy and the War Widows Guild.

Physical description

White letter x 2 from Legacy to the War Widows' Guild in 1970.