Mudgee CWA celebrated 90 years of the Country Women’s Association - both in Australia and in Mudgee - with a lunch for members and friends on Wednesday, May 23.
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The Mudgee branch of the CWA was the third branch formed in Australia, just four weeks after the historic Bushwomen’s Conference in 1922 that initiated the movement.
CWA NSW state president Elaine Armstrong spoke to the gathering about the CWA’s 90 year history and its future, from guaranteeing vital services for country women in the depression era to marching with farmers on Macquarie Street to protect the state’s land and water from mining three weeks ago.
“We care,” she said. “We are more than tea and scones and we are making our voice heard.”
Mayor Des Kennedy told the luncheon guests that he was the son of a CWA mother and had observed the contribution of country women throughout his life.
“Behind every good man, there’s a better woman,” Cr Kennedy said.
The work of the Mugee CWA in the 1920s began with a campaign for council to establish a garbage collection service and clean the street drains.
Mrs Allan Suttor from Mudgee, who was present at the 1922 conference, became a member of the CWA’s first state executive, while Mrs Harvey Nicholl became Mudgee’s first CWA president.
Concession fares were sought for people travelling to Sydney for medical care, as were cheaper telephone connections in the county.
The CWA raised funds for an isolation ward at Mudgee Hospital, built a rest room, and operated a girls’ hostel from 1944.
Today, the CWA in Mudgee has two branches and is based in new CWA rooms constructed in 2005.
The Day Branch and Evening Branch continue to support local and national causes, while playing a vital role in the community as volunteers.
