Keiraville Country Women’s Association (CWA) is looking forward to a special lunch in June.
“This will be our 61st birthday,” said Bulli local Marion Cook, honorary treasurer and the branch’s publicity officer.
PR is a key role as, despite its longevity, Australia’s largest women’s organisation still needs to raise awareness of its work.
“People still will say to you, what's CWA?" Marion said.
"And some people will say, oh that's right, that's the Cranky Women's Association. And I'll go, no, it's the Chicks With Attitude.
“People have this image of these older ladies cooking scones and that's what they envisage it to be.”
The reality behind the iconic scones is a group of experienced, talented and kind-hearted women, lobbying for better conditions for all Australians.
“The CWA started 102 years ago to assist the country women who are fighting isolation and lack of the essential medical facilities," Marion said. "The members worked tirelessly and set up baby health centres and funded bush nurses. We aim to provide better conditions for women and children in the country. And we do this by lobbying for change, helping the local community and creating a network of support in rural, remote and regional Australia.”
Keiraville CWA is going strong, with about 55 members. In May, to mark National Volunteer Week, Marion travelled to Sydney for the Premier's Volunteer Reception at the Art Gallery of NSW. June will be another busy month.
“We've got our next appearance on Channel 7 Morning Show on the 5th of June, and we'll be demonstrating how to make sausage rolls. So that's another exciting TV moment for us. On the 8th of June, we have a knit-in at Kiama Library with Wrap With Love.”
The group’s Friday morning walks are making a comeback this winter. “Every Friday morning we meet at the North Wollongong Lagoon Cafe at eight o'clock and we go for a walk and then come back and have a coffee and a chat – nothing too strenuous.”
Marion joined the CWA six years ago to give back to the community and meet new people.
“I'm retired and I have been for about nine years, and my husband and I between us have eight children and six young grandchildren. I've spent much of my time up until now looking after and spending time with them. But they're all at school now.
“I live in Bulli and I like to cook, sew, knit, garden, walk at the beach, do a bit of mosaics and a bit of screen printing.
“My parents had always done community work and they were heavily involved with the Uniting Church. Dad was an ambulance man and he used to give resuscitation lectures, and he did Lifeline counselling. I guess you have a bit of a gap when your children have grown up, and then mum and dad are gone, and you are looking for something to do, to give back to the community.
“The new friendships have been the biggest thing, with just some very kind and caring ladies in amongst the group.”
Marion has thrown her energy into the CWA, helping at stalls, Bunnings BBQs and catering for functions, from weddings to 100th birthday parties.
“I've been going to the Royal Easter Show for probably about the last four or five years working on the CWA tea rooms. We've worked at the Folk Festival, which is a really good entertaining thing to do. We go to Kindy Corner Preschool at Balgownie and do different things with the little kids there. We're sort of filling the gap for working mothers and kids that don't have grandmothers.”
The CWA also provides support for students at Keiraville and Bulli public schools.
Asked how many hours she puts into the CWA a week, Marion laughs. “I couldn't tell you, maybe we should ask my husband that. I’m always doing things for CWA, getting ideas and working on different initiatives, making pickles, making food for the stalls, trying to get more publicity.”
Keiraville CWA members come from a range of generations and Marion would like to encourage more younger women to join.
“We've probably got four or five in our group that are around age 90. Once those people can't get to the meetings anymore or once they're gone, we lose a lot of the skills. We just need to have more people become involved. We do have a girl who's 50 and she's still working, she's a nurse and she's our handicrafts officer, a beautiful sewer.
“There must be a lot of people out there who, in my position, are retired and their grandchildren all go to school. And unless you get involved in something else, I don't know what they do. I mean, I don't know what I would do if I wasn't doing this.”
There are jobs for men too. Marion’s husband has his own interests (including the Austinmer Otters) but is very supportive of the CWA, helping to set up stalls and cook at barbecues.
Everyone is welcome and you don’t need to live in Keiraville to join the branch. “We meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Polish Club on Gipps Road at Keiraville. We meet at 9.30 and have a cup of tea and then the meeting starts at 10 o’clock.”
Meetings feature talks on a range of topics, from agriculture to handicrafts and cookery, and every year, the CWA learns about a different country.
“We're doing France this year and so the international officer gets up and talks about France each month. In April it was about the Second World War and the things that happened in France then.
“So it's always pretty interesting.”
Keiraville CWA meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month; please ring ahead and chat to branch president Liz Corfield on 4285 8121. Follow the group on Facebook.