▁V ase y ▁sent ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁all ▁Victor ian ▁war ▁wid ows ▁propos ing ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁craft ▁gu ild . ▁We aving ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁post - war ▁text ile ▁short age ▁and ▁it ▁be ▁undert aken ▁in ▁the ▁home ▁while ▁children ▁were ▁at ▁school ▁or ▁as leep . ▁M oney ▁earned ▁would ▁supp lement ▁the ▁n igg ard ly ▁p ensions ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁wid ows . ▁ ▁Some ▁ 3 0 0 ▁war ▁wid ows ▁showed ▁up ▁for ▁an ▁inaug ural ▁meeting . ▁A ▁constitution ▁was ▁drawn ▁up ▁and ▁office ▁hold ers ▁were ▁elected , ▁with ▁V ase y ▁being ▁elected ▁the ▁first ▁president . ▁The ▁War ▁W id ows ' ▁C raft ▁Gu ild ▁officially ▁came ▁into ▁existence ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁The ▁A IF ▁Women ' s ▁Association ▁provide ▁space ▁in ▁its ▁building ▁in ▁Collins ▁Street , ▁Melbourne ▁and ▁the ▁Australian ▁Red ▁Cross ▁opened ▁a ▁nur ser y ▁nearby ▁for ▁war ▁wid ows ' ▁children . ▁ ▁V ase y ▁travel led ▁around ▁Australia ▁organ ising ▁gu ild s ▁in ▁other ▁states . ▁The ▁Gu ild ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁and ▁by ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁there ▁were ▁Gu ild s ▁in ▁every ▁state . ▁This ▁enabled ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁federal ▁organisation , ▁with ▁clubs ▁operating ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁level , ▁autonom ous ▁state ▁branches , ▁and ▁a ▁national ▁council ▁for ▁l ia