Rural Women's Gathering
Rural Women's Gathering
The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (15:05:53):
On Friday 14 October I travelled home to the Northern Tablelands to attend a Rural Women's Gathering at the Ben Lomond War Memorial Hall. It was a cool and damp day; however, the room was vibrant and colourful. The Hon. Bronnie Taylor kicked off the proceedings and acknowledged that after three years of not being able to meet, it was lovely to be together at the gathering and celebrating the International Day of Rural Women. My Country Women's Association [CWA] Guyra Evening Branch co‑hosted the event, together with the Glen Innes National Resources Advisory Committee, or GLENRAC. All this was made possible by Women NSW and, of course, all the volunteers who were there on the day to ensure the event ran smoothly.
As members may already know, the CWA is celebrating 100 years, having formed in 1922 when country women were fighting isolation and a lack of health facilities. The CWA has gone from strength to strength. In those 100 years, the CWA has set up baby healthcare centres, funded bush nurses and scholarships, provided funds during challenging times such as drought, and much more. If members of the CWA are walking the corridors of Parliament, then watch out. They are ladies on a mission. It is the largest women's organisation in Australia. They work tirelessly in their communities, lobbying for change, helping local communities and providing a network of support. They are the social fabric that often keeps a community going.
I am a proud member of the Guyra Evening Branch of the CWA and was its inaugural president back in 2018. The branch has a fantastic new president, Anne Starr—Starr by name, star by nature. Guyra has another CWA branch, which is celebrating over 90 years. It has been the glue that has kept Guyra together through thick and thin. The CWA is much more than tea and scones. Congratulations to the organising committee for hosting the Rural Women's Gathering and thank you to all the wonderful country women—dressed in their country attire—who attended.
