THE Coonamble Country Women’s Association’s (CWA) day branch is taking a break and hoping to return in spring with a reinvigorated group.
After serving the community for 96 years, they do not have enough active members to continue.
“We are giving ourselves six months grace,” said current President Beverly Ault.
“We had our last meeting on Friday 12th March at our CWA Rooms and we’ll meet again in September.”
“We really need new members,” she said.
The frustrating thing for CWA members is that they know there is still important work to be done but with five members and the majority in their senior years, they do not have enough woman-power to hold meetings and function effectively.
Members of the Day Branch are proud of their organisation’s heritage and achievements and are not letting go lightly.
“Our branch is the second oldest in the state,” Mrs Ault said. “The Sydney group formed in 1924 – and Coonamble formed the following year.”
The CWA began its life to assist remote and isolated women and children, lobbying for better roads, better maternity wards, telephone and electricity in every home, and more.
When the branch first formed in 1925, with Mrs H R Butterworth as President, they had a membership of 17.
By the end of that year it had grown to 75 and in the 1950s it was 117.
In those early years they raised funds and by 1930 had built a Maternity Unit with three wards plus a verandah onto the hospital. They built their ‘Rest Rooms’ in Castlereagh Street in 1937 and added a Baby Health Clinic in 1955.
The Baby Health clinic operated until the government took it over in 1975 and moved it to new premises.
The CWA Rooms have been maintained and are still available for hire in 2021.
During World War II members of the Coonamble branch made camouflage nets, knitted items and pyjamas for the army, and made up food parcels.
The Coonamble Branch has continued to fundraise, donate to research and provide annual scholarships to local school students.
With a network stretching across the country, the organisation remains a formidable lobby group that influences important areas of government policy.
“The CWA try to advocate to local, state and Commonwealth governments for worthy causes, like drought or mice plagues,” Mrs Ault said.
As well as working to improve their local communities, Mrs Ault says the CWA is an important outlet for local women and is open to both town and rural residents.
“The CWA meet for friendship, to socialise, have fun, have discussions and encourage and respect each other,” she said.
“We just need a few more members.”
