Just a Bit of La Professoressa's Social Agitation Records in the Victorian Women's Liberation and Lesbian Feminist Archives

Di Otto, age 38, 1990

An excerpt from the 16 page holding list of the donated papers of Dianne Otto to the Victorian Women's Liberation and Lesbian Feminist Archives. The full listing can be found on the University of Melbourne, Archives, website.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Di Otto was an Arts student at University of
Adelaide (1971-1973). In 1974 she became the Research Coordinator at
the Women's Liberation Halfway House, Melbourne, and edited Herstory
of the Halfway House 1974-1976 (WLHWH Collective, 1978). A member
of many feminist activist groups, including the Melbourne Scarlet Woman
editorial group, Otto worked as an Outreach Youth Worker (1976–1986)
and was instrumental in establishing What Are Ya?, a support group for
young women. After working as State-wide Coordinator of the Youth
Accommodation Coalition of Victoria (1984-1989), Otto became a law
student and research assistant in The University of Melbourne’s Law
Faculty (1990-1992). In 1993 Otto was the Regional Coordinator for
Amnesty International and lectured in the Law Faculty, University of
Melbourne, from 1994. Otto was appointed an Associate Professor in
2002. She has written extensively on human rights law, economic, social
and cultural rights, and feminist legal theory.
DATE OF
TRANSFER
12 October 2000
ACCESS
CONDITIONS
Open
DESCRIPTION Conference papers: programs, registration forms, questionnaires,
newsletters, posters, notes, maps; manifestos, leaflets, monograms,
pamphDi Otto Papers
1 Biography at the front of the box
1 8/1/1 Conferences I- Feminist Theory Conf.- Mt Beauty -Vic -
January: papers, program, registration form, Feminist Theory
Conference, Mt Beauty, Victoria
1973
 8/1/2 Conferences II : Women and Sexist Education – Bloom
House, Adelaide SA –Easter program, notes, questionnaire,
articles, contact list
1973
 8/1/3 Conferences III: Radicalesbians Conference Sorrento
[This folder was missing on 5/1/2011 when collection was
being reconciled.]
1973

Di Otto and comrades, 1980s

8/1/4 Conferences IV: Gay Camp Adelaide SA: registration form,
newsletter, notes, conference paper,
1973
 8/1/5 Conferences V: Feminism and Socialism, Conference,
Melbourne, Victoria.
1974
 8/1/6 Conferences VI: Women As Victims of Crime Conf. April,
ACT -notes, contact list, monograph, correspondence.
conference papers, statistics, newsletters
1975
 8/1/7 Conferences VII: National Homosexual Conference –
Melbourne. University - order form, conference papers, map,
leaflet.
[This folder was missing at Jan. 2011 reconciliation]
1975
 8/1/8 Conferences VIII: Women and Madness – Melbourne -
program, registration form
1975
 8/1/9 Conference IX: Anarchism and Feminism – Canberra – Oct :
manifesto, leaflets, articles, conference papers, discussion
sheets,

Di's world of activism, 1970s

1975Conferences VII: National Homosexual Conference –
Melbourne. University - order form, conference papers, map,
leaflet.
[This folder was missing at Jan. 2011 reconciliation]
1975
 8/1/8 Conferences VIII: Women and Madness – Melbourne -
program, registration form
1975
 8/1/9 Conference IX: Anarchism and Feminism – Canberra – Oct :
manifesto, leaflets, articles, conference papers, discussion
sheets,
1975
 8/1/10 Conferences X: Policy and Strategy, Conference,
Melbourne. Feb
1976
 8/1/11 Conferences XI Marxist-Feminist Conf. Sydney - June:
program, newspaper clippings, leaflets, WLM newsletter,
conference papers,
1977
 8/1/12 Conferences XII: 6th Nat’l Conf for Lesbians and
Homosexual Men- Sydney -Aug: pamphlets, contacts,
clippings, articles, notes, program.
1980
 8/1/13 Conferences XIII: Womyn Patriarchy and the Future –
Carlton Vic- April: registration , discussion paper.
1981
 8/01/14 Conferences XIV: Women and Unemployment Melbourne –
Sept : program, conference papers, synopses
1983
 08/1/15 Conferences XV: Nat’l Women’s Advisory Council
Recommendations of Pre-Conference Meetings, Melbourne.
Monograph

Di working with the Women's Tribunal in Cambodia, 2013

8/1/16 Conferences XVI: Women’s Conf - Melbourne –Sept:
registration form, Women’s Conference,8/1/17 Newspaper clippings: Melbourne – refuges, domestic
violence, status of Women, WEL, Lesbian, general
1975-1981
 8/1/18 Posters, Melbourne, Victoria (relocated to posters drawer) 1983
 8/1/19 Women Under Attack - publication with various articles
Australian Union of Students Women’s Department
 8/1/20 Adelaide Liberation Published by Women’s Liberation No.3
April 1971 and No.7 Oct. 1973
1971- 1973
 8/1/21 Adelaide Liberation No 10 Mar (2 copies), Jun, No 13
Jul/Aug, No 14 Sep (2 copies), No 15 Oct (2 copies), No 16
Dec
1972
 8/1/22 Adelaide Liberation, Adelaide, No 17 Jan (2 copies), No 18
Mar, No 19 May, No20 Jul (2 copies), No 21 Sep, No 22
Nov-Dec
1973
 8/1/23 Adelaide Liberation, No 23 Jan, No 24 (2 copies), No 25
Apr-May, No 26 Jun, No 27 Jul, No 29 Oct
1974
 8/1/24 Adelaide Liberation, – 3 undated editions 1975
 8/1/25 Adelaide Liberation, – No 35 Jun, No 36, No 37 1976
 8/1/26 Adelaide Liberation, – No 38, 39 Jul, 40 Oct, 41 Dec 1977
 8/1/27 Adelaide Liberation, – No 42 Jan, No 43 May, No 44
“Adelaide Women’s Liberation Newspaper”
1978
 8/1/28 Adelaide Liberation, -No 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 1979
 8/1/29 Adelaide Liberation, – No 50 Jan/Feb, Mar, No 53 May, No
54 Jun, No 55 Jul, No 56 Aug, No 58 Oct, No 60 Dec
1980
2 8/2/1 Adelaide Liberation, – No 61 Feb, No 62 Mar, No 63
Apr/May, No 64 Jun, No 65 Jul, No 66 Aug, No 67 Sep, No
70 Dec
1981 Mar (2 copies), No 11 Apr, No 12 May; Women’s Liberation
News minutes of meetings Apr-Aug
 8/2/12 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Feb, Jun, Jul,
Aug, Nov (2 copies)
1976
 8/2/13 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Jan, Mar, Apr,
May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct, Nov
1977

Di and comrades, 1970s

 8/2/14 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Jan?, Feb?
Mar/Apr? May/Jun (2 copies), emergency Jul, Aug (2
copies), Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1978
 8/2/15 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Jan, Feb, Mar,
Apr (2 copies), May (2 copies), Jun (2 copies), Jul,
emergency Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1979
 8/2/16 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Feb (2 copies),
Mar (2 copies), Apr, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov (2 copies), Dec
(2 copies)
1980
 8/2/17 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Feb, Apr, May,
Jun, Jul (2 copies), Aug, Sep, Nov
1981
3 8/3/1 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Jan, Feb, Mar,
Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1982
 8/3/2 Melbourne Women’s Liberation Newsletter, Jan-Dec 1983
 8/3/3 ‘Trans-National Brief: Women and Work’ No 3, Nov, 1980;
‘Empire Times’, Adelaide, No 5 1973
1973-1980

Di in the 1980s

Note: These photos are from Di Otto's personal archives, an historical richness of lesbian and feminist activism and community.The more recent image is from La Professoressa's work in Cambodia, 2013