Country Women's Association facts for kids
CWA building at Bungendore, New South Wales
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| Abbreviation | CWA |
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| Formation | 20 April 1922 |
| Founder | Grace Munro, Florence Gordon |
| Founded at | Country Club, Twyford House, Sydney |
| Type | Not-for-profit organisation |
| Purpose | To improve the conditions for women and children and make life better for families, especially those living in rural and remote Australia. |
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The Country Women's Association (CWA) is a special group for women in Australia. It works to make life better for women, families, and communities. They especially help those living in country areas, far from big cities.
The CWA is made up of seven different groups, one for each Australian State and Territory. There used to be a national group that brought them all together. But this group stopped in 2022 because new ways of talking made it less needed.
Contents
History of the CWA
The very first Country Women's Association in Australia started on April 20, 1922. This happened at a meeting for women from the bush in Sydney. It was held at the same time as the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
A newspaper editor, Florence Gordon, helped set up this meeting. She had support from her newspaper and a politician named Dr. Richard Arthur. Dr. Arthur first thought of the idea in 1919. He was worried about the tough lives and few services for women and children in the countryside.
Grace Emily Munro from Keera cattle station led the group that organised the meeting. She became the first President of what is now the Country Women's Association of New South Wales.
How the CWA Grew
The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) started five months later, in August 1922. This was at another meeting for bushwomen in Brisbane. Ruth Fairfax was its first president. She was very important in growing the CWA in both Queensland and NSW. She also helped start a bigger group called the Associated Country Women of the World.
Other states soon followed. Western Australia's CWA began in 1924. South Australia's started in 1926. Victoria's CWA was formed in 1928. The first group in the Northern Territory began in 1933. Tasmania's CWA followed in 1936.
Helping During Hard Times
During the Great Depression, the CWA gave food and clothes to people who needed help. This was a time when many people had no jobs or money.
During World War II, the CWA played a big part in helping the country. They became known for being very reliable during this difficult time. Members made thousands of camouflage nets and warm vests for soldiers. They also fixed uniforms, knitted items, and baked treats for the troops. They even set up places for soldiers to relax and eat.
In 1992, the CWA of Australia won the RSL Anzac Peace Prize. This award was for their great work in helping people understand each other and for working towards world peace.
A Royal Wedding Cake
Princess Elizabeth (who later became Queen Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten got married on November 20, 1947. Many people from all over the world sent them wedding cakes. They only accepted 12 of these cakes. One of them was from the Country Women's Association of Australia!
The CWA made a huge wedding cake that was 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall. It had six layers, one for each Australian state. Each state gave ingredients for the cake. The cake was decorated with the Australian coat-of-arms. It also had silver fern leaves, wedding bells, and fresh white flowers on top.
The icing was made by D de Mars, a cake decorating teacher in Sydney. He spent eight days carefully adding the Australian coat-of-arms designs. The cake was baked by the head chef at David Jones, a big department store in Sydney.
The six layers were flown to London in separate airtight tins in October 1947. One of the layers was damaged when the plane landed in Israel. A local pastry chef fixed it before it continued its journey to London.
Education, Health, and Wellbeing
The CWA helps young people by giving out scholarships for students. They also teach and encourage people in many areas. These include drama, art, music, public speaking, cooking, and flower arranging.
They even run workshops for older members. These workshops teach them how to use computers, online banking, and ATMs. The CWA also talks to governments about many social issues.
Even though they do many things, the CWA is still famous for its cooking, especially scones. The CWA is an important part of many local communities in Australia. It helps women and children of all ages with their health and wellbeing.
Buildings and Money Matters
The CWA owns many buildings that its members built and look after. In recent years, there has been some talk about selling some of these community halls.
The CWA pays for everything itself. Unlike some other groups, they don't get government funding. Some local branches didn't have enough members to pay for their halls anymore. This included costs like council rates, insurance, electricity, water, and repairs. Between 2003 and 2005, nine halls were sold in New South Wales. These included halls in Cowra, Ettalong Beach, and Jindabyne.
CWA of Australia
People first thought about creating a national CWA group in 1929. But the idea was put on hold until 1945. The CWA of Australia was finally formed at a meeting in Melbourne.
In the beginning, the different states took turns leading the national group and hosting meetings. Over the years, the rules were changed to make the national group work better. But they always made sure that each state group remained independent. In 1983, new rules said that the National President would be elected by a vote. In 1985, Dorothy Ross became the first elected president after a national vote.
The CWA of Australia officially stopped working in early 2022. The group explained that this was partly because it was easier to communicate now. This meant a single national contact point was no longer really needed. They said that each state group could now speak up for its members on its own. They also said that they didn't have enough money to do the same work at a national level.
Queensland Chapter (QCWA)
The Queensland Chapter of the CWA was formed on August 11, 1922, in Brisbane. Ruth Beatrice Fairfax was chosen as its first President. This chapter celebrated 100 years of helping people in Queensland on August 11, 2022.
The first meeting of the Toowoomba branch was held on September 12, 1922. Mrs. Ruth Fairfax was there and talked about what the group wanted to achieve.
In 2013, the Queensland chapter was added to the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame. This shows how important they are.
In 2017, the QCWA even created its own perfume called '1922'. This was to celebrate its 95th birthday. It was launched at the 2017 Ekka (a big show in Queensland). A local artist designed the bottle.
Documentary
An ABC-TV documentary called Not All Tea and Scones was made in 2007. It was about the CWA, mostly the NSW branch. You can find it on DVD.
Gallery
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CWA building at Elliston, South Australia. This was the first branch building in South Australia (1936).
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Giru, Queensland, 2009.
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The Rest Room, Helidon, Queensland. Opened in 1957.
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Kilcoy, Queensland, 2011.
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Esk, Queensland, 2011.
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CWA building at Braidwood, New South Wales.
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Queensland Country Women's Association Rest Rooms, ca. 1931. Biggenden, Queensland.
See also
- Associated Country Women of the World
- Country Women's Association of Western Australia
- Feminism in Australia
- Taking Tea – a sculpture that honors the CWA's work in Dumbleyung, Western Australia
