The temperance movement, which advocated abstinence from alcohol, was a widespread political movement during the nineteenth century. Temperance movements were not solely run by women, but they were significantly supported by women who saw alcohol abuse as fuelling poverty and violence in their communities. It provided an important avenue for women’s political activity during this period, including married women and women with children, and temperance groups were often active in other forms of political activism including charitable work, anti-war activism, and women’s suffrage. This is especially significant in the context of Port Melbourne’s high proportion of women hotel owners and licencees during the nineteenth century: during this period, women in Port Melbourne were very active in both the business of alcohol sales, and in activism against it. Among the temperance groups active in the area, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was one of the largest and most widely supported, with their Port Melbourne branch active from the 1880s through to the mid-1940s. The WCTU frequently collaborated with the local branch of the Melbourne City Mission, including with events such as running a Christmas party for women prisoners at Pentridge Prison in Coburg. The Temperance Hall at 146 Liardet St was constructed in 1872 and is one of the main buildings associated with the temperance movement still standing in Port Melbourne.
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