The Vasey Housing Association Information

Vasey was named after its founder, the late Mrs Jessie Vasey BA, CBE, herself a war widow of one of Australia's most distinguished soldiers Major General George Vasey CB, CBE, DSO, MC (Greece), DSC (USA) Commander of the 6th and 7th Divisions of the Second AIF (Australian Imperial Force), who was killed when his aircraft crashed in the mouth of the Barron River near Cairns on a flight to New Guinea on the 5th March 1945. General Vasey was one of Australia's finest and best loved soldiers. His concern for his men and their dependants caused him to ask his wife to do all she could to help the wives and widows who had been left behind. Mrs Vasey had helped to establish the AIF Women's Association, and was therefore already heavily involved in work of this kind. After the death of her husband, she started to fight for the thousands of War Widows who were living in near poverty on a pension which had remained unaltered, save for a total rise of three shillings, from 1916 to 1945. In 1945 Mrs Vasey formed the War Widow's Guild in Victoria and by 1947 the Guild became an Australian wide organization and a recognized force in the fight for better conditions for War Widows and their families. In the years following the war it was difficult for War Widows to obtain War Service Homes because of the large number of servicemen returning to civilian life. Flats and houses were at a premium. By 1950 the Guild was constantly receiving calls from some of its older members who were living alone and found it almost impossible to find accommodation within their means. Mrs Vasey felt that the solution would be to start building homes for War Widows who were over the age of 60. The Guild had practically no means, so those early years were marked by a constant struggle. On many occasions it was hard to see how the organization could stay afloat financially, but every time this happened Mrs Vasey would somehow scrape up the funds needed to carry on. Gradually a few old houses were acquired and converted into bed-sitting room ...