This year marks 90 years of the Kempsey CWA Branch's commitment to social and health issues in the local community. Members celebrated the occasion with a birthday event earlier this month at the CWA buildings on the corner of Verge and John Sreets, Kempsey.
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Branch president Elaine Gowing said the celebrations were a chance to reflect on contributions Kempsey CWA has made to the local community over the years.
"It is a fine achievement to serve a community for ninety years, and one of which branch members are particularly proud," Mrs Gowing said.
For the first meeting in 1929, local women joined some 9,000 members in 100 CWA branches across the young Federation.
"While the CWA may have a different look in 2019, the commitment to social and health issues has long been a marker of CWA activity", Mrs Gowing said.
The Kempsey CWA worked to set up a rest-room in the town, contributed to the furnishings of the Kempsey Hospital, and members were involved in distributing clothing to those in need.
Maternal and infant health issues have been a particular concern of Kempsey CWA members. Baby Health Centres were set up in rural areas as early as 1923. The Kempsey Baby Health Centre followed in 1936.
Kempsey CWA worked to break down barriers of segregation to improve life for Aboriginal children. In her account of grassroots activism, La Trobe University lecturer and author of Country Women and the Colour Bar, Jennifer Jones tells how the CWA became a force for desegregation in 1950s Australia. She described how four prominent Kempsey women played a role in building relations.
"Kempsey CWA was the second in the state to form an Aboriginal CWA branch, this time at Burnt Bridge/Greenhill in 1960," Mrs Gowing said.
"The first baby show run by the branch was only for Aboriginal children, but soon opened to all babies as Aboriginal mothers wanted to show that they could raise healthy babies.
"This challenged discriminatory stereotypes and drew attention to segregated social services."
Sadly, the Aboriginal CWA branch closed in 1966 as interests changed. Unfortunately no records of the branch have been found, Mrs Gowing said.
These and other stories from the branch history books were a feature of the celebrations, which also included guest speaker Jacqueline Draffan, who spoke about her experience working alongside her husband in Papua New Guinea - which is this year's CWA country of study in 2019.
Kempsey CWA meets every second Friday of the month at their building in Kempsey, on the Corner of Verge and John Sreet. Anybody looking to join, or for more information about the 90th birthday party can contact secretary Gail Seery on 6562-3194.
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