A cuppa with the Volunteer Team of the Year
After reaching out to learn more about our local Country Womens Association, I was invited to meet some of the members of the Keiraville branch at one of their regular get-togethers held at the home of cookery officer, Marion Cook.
This year the Country Women's Association (CWA) is celebrating its centenary in NSW.
After reaching out to learn more about our local CWA, I was invited to meet some of the members of the Keiraville branch at one of their regular get-togethers held at the home of cookery officer, Marion Cook. I arrived to find a group of nine members gathered to talk to me about their association with the CWA. Needless to say, there was a feast of sweet and savoury treats and proper teacups laid out on the kitchen counter.
The NSW Country Women's Association was founded in 1922 at a meeting of the Bush Women's Association at the Sydney Royal Show in April of that year. Top of the agenda were the challenges faced by rural women and children, particularly relating to isolation and the lack of maternity and children's health services. Today the CWA are advocates, fundraisers, support networks and lobbyists for many causes, including health, social issues, environmental, agricultural and education. They support local, regional and national causes.
There are more than 370 CWA branches in NSW and the ACT. The Keiraville branch, part of the Illawarra Group, formed in 1963 and has 42 members drawn from the area from Coledale to Dapto. The Keiraville Branch recently won the Illawarra Volunteer Team of the Year award. They will go on to compete in the state awards in December.
The Keiraville branch secretary and publicity officer, Rebekah Ryan, gives me a rundown of the activities of the local branch. Rebekah tells me that everyone is a volunteer and all profits from their activities go to charities – 70% local and 30% other (for instance, this year they have donated to the Lismore flood cause). So far this year, the Keiraville branch has raised $15,000. They fundraise through stalls and catering for weddings, birthday parties and other events. Rebekah tells me they recently catered for a 102nd birthday party, held at St Josephs Church in Bulli.
One by one, I ask the women when and why they joined the CWA. Overwhelmingly, the answer is “companionship”. Diane tells me she attended her first meeting as a 20-year-old with older friends but was busy with work and children until she retired six years ago. Kate is relatively new, joining in June this year and became familiar with the CWA through employment in regional NSW. Julie also joined when she retired and was amazed that there was so much to it – much more than homemade jam and scones! Some members are younger and still work so can’t attend meetings but will help out at stalls and fundraisers.
They tell me that whoever walks through that door, whatever you can do is accepted – no judgements, it’s all ‘come on in’ and be part of the CWA. Gay, who lost her husband in 2021, says "my heart goes out to everyone [in the CWA] because I’ve [been through] a terrible time, it’s really precious". Jenny says: “I just wandered in off the street and I didn’t feel out of place or anything … everybody was really friendly and made me feel that I was part of a group.”
The women cook, sew, knit and crochet together. They go on trips; they recently went to Bowral to check out the craft shops. Food, they say, is the foundation of the CWA and builds friendships, however, there’s a lot more to it than "just having cups of tea". The Royal Flying Doctor Service is heavily supported through donations from the CWA. They talk of women coming to the fore during the Second World War due to men being away. Women had to pull together and they felt useful.
The women speak of the mentorship that the older members provide to the younger and newer members. They speak fondly of their patron, Ada, who is in her 90s, describing her as kind and loving and knowledgeable about world events. Ada has been a member of the Keiraville Branch since its inception in 1963.
You will find the Keiraville branch stall at Bulli Woolworths on Saturday, 15 October with their sought-after home-made goodies, including jams, relishes, cakes and slices as well as crocheted and knitted items. I hear that the lemon butter is a bestseller so be quick!
Keiraville CWA branch meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Balgownie Community Hall. Contact Rebekah Ryan or call 0407 299 033 for more information.
