The existing facilities provided by both government and private agencies, while they alleviate the situation to some extent, are insufficient to cater adequately for this need.
In June 1975, the Marrickville Women's Refuge Collective received approval for grants totalling more than $100,000 from the council and the Hospitals and Health Services Commission[8] to cover the costs of furniture, equipment, a vehicle,[9] and its first year of operating and salaries.
[10][11] The grant was recommended by the South-West Sydney Regional Development Council and was to be used for the purchase of a suitable building to establish a refuge for women.
[14] The local council classified the new refuge as a 'boarding house' and determined that the work of the previous owner of the building would need to be entirely re-done, and the facilities to meet the standards of the new classification.
[9] However, the refuge officially opened its doors in April 1976, despite the prohibitions imposed by the local and state authorities and the incomplete facilities.