Why not join ... Echuca-Murray CWA

In today’s edition, Emily Donohoe speaks to Echuca-Murray CWA.

The Country Women’s Association is a staple in regional communities, and the Echuca-Murray branch has connected local women together and with the wider community for around 70 years.

When Delia Currie moved to Echuca, she followed in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps, joining the CWA.

Since then, she has rotated through a range of committee roles, from president to treasurer and secretary.

“My grandmother and my mother were members of the CWA,” Ms Currie said.

“I can always remember, and it’s a story a lot of people in the community will say, I used to meet mum or grandma after the meeting, we’d have afternoon tea, we’d walk there after school.

“When I moved to Echuca, it was just in my mind that there was a night CWA. I could work, have a family and still be a member.”

In recent times, the night and day CWA groups have merged to be just one group, the Echuca-Murray CWA.

They meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 10am at the CWA hall, one of only five groups in the state to manage their own hall.

At their meetings, they often invite guest speakers, participate in handicrafts, host a marketplace with handmade goods and enjoy a morning tea or light lunch.

Ms Currie enjoys the time she spends with the CWA group, valuing the socialisation and community connection it provides.

“It’s something that I belong to because it’s a great group of women,” she said.

“We have lots of fun, it’s not political.

“There is a diverse interest in the members.”

There are 16 women in the group, each with different skills and abilities that they often use to contribute for charitable donations and fundraising assistance.

Among the initiatives they have supported are Hope in a Suitcase, Echuca Neighbourhood House, trauma teddies for Echuca Regional Health and Ambulance Victoria and St Mary’s Winter Woolly Appeal, and they provide an annual casserole dinner for Echuca Lions Club.

The motto of the CWA is ‘all women, all ages, all places’, following the drive to ‘care, empower and contribute’.

Each branch belongs to a bigger group, along with the state and national association.

Being part of the CWA also gives women the opportunity to connect beyond their own branch, through conferences and courses.

“You can go to Melbourne and do cooking or handicraft courses,” Ms Currie said.

“You would be amazed where you go and if you’re wearing your CWA badge people say ‘oh yes, the CWA, where do you belong?’.

“It opens up areas for discussion.”

There are opportunities to participate in committee roles, but members can simply join and participate in the group.

Branch and statewide competitions are also held across various areas of interest, from quilting to photography and public speaking.

Members can also pursue board roles on a state or national level, which many local women have done before.

The group always encourages new women to join, offering opportunities to learn from and spend time with one another with events like the annual craft day.

“You can come along,” Ms Currie said

“If you’ve got a break from work for a month, you can come along. There is no pressure, no hassle.

“If you want to learn something, we’re willing to teach you and show you.”

Echuca-Murray CWA meets at 10am on the second Tuesday of each month at its hall at 498 High St, Echuca.