The Melbourne Women's Walking Club Inc. was formed in 1922 by a group of young women excluded from the men-only Melbourne Walking Club. From the start the club held both day and weekend walks, wherever the railways could take them. In the brief annual Christmas-New Year holiday period there were longer tours. The Club pioneered treks with packhorses supplied by the mountain cattlemen who also acted as guides. In 1936 four members walked the Barry Mountains, the first women to do so.

Over the years their dress changed from long skirts to short skirts to riding breeches (then the only acceptable form of trousers for women). Finally in the 1930s they defied all conventions by wearing specially tailored shorts. World War 2 curtailed activities and led to a decline in the 1950s, but the club rallied and grew again. Later, groups began to travel further afield, both interstate and overseas.The club continues to attract new members and provides a wide variety of activities.

A first history of the club was formally collated in 1987 in a book called Uphill After Lunch.

An award-winning new history titled: Still on Track: 100 years of the Melbourne Women’s Walking Club was launched in our Centenary year, 2022. It captures in words and pictures the club’s activities, the stories of many club members and what has changed over the club’s 100 years and what has persisted over time: the club’s essence: a love of the outdoors, the support and commitment of members, the traditions, and the opportunities for women to enjoy and be inspired by the company of others.

In 2024, MWWC’s early years were captured in this multimedia article, written by ANU PhD candidate Ruby Ekkel and published in The Conversation :  https://bushwalking-women-blazing-a-trail.netlify.app