Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionStanding Mrs Byrne, Miss Morgan, Mrs Freeman, Mesdames Lavis, Allen, Corr, Wedge, Patterson. Seated Mesdames Burgess, Smith, Gile, Jenkyn

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionTranscript (kindly completed by Ken Briscoe using ChatGPT) RINGWOOD BRANCH COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION INC. February 13, 1946 in the Ringwood Town Hall, the Mayoress, Mrs. H.E. Parker, called the meeting and Ringwood Branch Country Women's Association was formed, and would be in the Yarra Valley Group. Speaker for the day was Mrs. Wray, Group President, Yarra Valley Group. Office bearers elected were: • Mrs. Greenshields (President) • Mrs. Shields (Secretary) • Mrs. Roberts (Treasurer) At the inaugural meeting, 93 ladies joined, and the first general meeting of the Ringwood Branch was held March 7, 1946, and by the end of August the membership grew to 160. In 1946 the joining fee was 4/- and you never attended a meeting unless you wore hat and gloves. The first year, meetings were held in the main Town Hall, then they were transferred to the small hall, which had a creche next door, at the baby health centre, where mothers could leave their little ones, while mum enjoyed the meetings, demonstrations or entertainment. The Branch had a very good Choir, conducted by Mrs. Dorrie Davidson, also a very talented theatrical group. Each birthday they put on excellent stage shows, some beautiful costumes being hired from well-known Melbourne theatrical company. The 1956 Olympic stage show had some well-trained, but out of form, athletes. Highlight of the year was the Annual Ball and two Debutante Balls. New branches were formed in the district, Everard, East Ringwood, Heathmont, South Warrandyte. There was also, Ringwood Younger set, a night branch (later years was renamed Marana). It was then that our membership dropped. As more and more branches were started in the district, Ringwood was then allocated to the newly formed Maroondah Highway Group. Craft classes and demonstrations were of a high standard, with some interesting things being made such as millinery, dressmaking, pottery, etc. In 1960 when Ringwood was made a City, a C.W.A. float was entered in the procession, this was a mammoth task, as hundreds of flowers were made and wired to the float, which was in green and gold C.W.A. colours. The time came when the Town Hall was to be demolished, and we moved to the Church of England Hall, Civic Place, but after a short time, this hall was also demolished. Meetings were then held at Ringwood Library until the library was no longer available. Our last move was to our present meeting room at Lionswood. Today you dress as you wish and membership is $12.00. The Ringwood Branch in 1995 has 2 life members and 21 members. Alice Milner March 15, 1995 As a matter of interest, of those 160 members who joined in the first year, only one active member is left with the Branch

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionTranscript (kindly completed by Ken Briscoe using ChatGPT) During the second World War, a group of Ringwood ladies sent tins of fat to England. When the War ended in 1946, the Mayoress, Mrs. H.E. Parker, called a meeting and a branch of the Country Women's Association was formed. The subscription was four shillings and two shillings for associate members. Meetings were held in the lower Town Hall, the President and Secretary sat on the stage, the Treasurer at a table on the floor and the hostess at the door to welcome members. Birthdays were held in the Town Hall. There was an active drama group who performed at competitions. After the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, members re-enacted some of the events. A yearly ball was held for several years. Members catered for the Scout Jamboree. They looked after victims of the bush fires - the Town Hall was covered in beds. Mrs. Pratt, Senior, whose husband took up a selection in Ringwood, gave a block of land to the C.W.A., but the late Councillor Mr. Frank Corr, told his wife (a member) that the Council would not permit a hall to be built on this land so the block was sold to the Masonic Lodge for 250 pounds. Cards were enjoyed monthly in the Presbyterian Church Hall in Adelaide Street. Craft group met in the Church of England Hall in Ringwood Street.

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionUnknown year

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionAt the Lutheran Church Hall, City Road, Ringwood on 20th March 1996

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

From Ringwood Mail 23rd March 1961. Branch President Mrs Hunter, attended by Mayoress Mrs G Horman and wife of Ringwood Council's Town Clerk, Mrs Dwerryhouse

Country Women's Association of Victoria was a popular widely known organisation throughout Australia. The CWA aimed to improve health, welfare and education for women and children in the country.Each town / area in the Kiewa Valley had an active CWA. The Tawonga branch commenced in Feb. 1946 and often combined activities with other branches in the Kiewa Valley.1. Nov. 2000, Vol. 46, No. 10. Cover: Purple & red tulips 2. October 2004 Vol. 50, No. 9 x2 Cover: Olive Green surrounding oval shaped photo 'The Log Cabin' 3. April 2001, Vol. 47, No. 3 Cover: Mustard surrounding square portrait of 'Nursing Sister Atherton, N. Qld.' 4. Agenda for the Annual Conference of the Kiewa Valley Group of the CWA of Vic.Also includes National Anthem, CWA Collect & Mottocountry women's association, journals, kiewa valley group of cwa

Country Women's Association of Victoria was a popular, widely known organisation throughout Australia.Historical: Each town / area in the Kiewa Valley had an active CWA.Ceramic cream speckled plate with green insignia of the CWA in the centre. Insignia: Green circle, Victoria in gold at top in side circle beneath which is a green shield with CWA overlapping letters inside. The base is cream with an inside circle base allowing sides to slope upwards. Inside the base is inscribed in silver 'Smith' - this centre part is thinner than the rest of the plate.'Smith' on the base.country women's association, cwa, victoria, community, volunteers, charity

The Tawonga branch of the C.W.A. commenced on the 7th Feb. 1946 and often combined activities with the other branches in the Kiewa Valley. The C.W.A. aimed to improve health, welfare and education for women and children in the country.Women living in Tawonga were mostly on farms and, in 1946, when the branch commenced would have been feeling more remote with WW11 having had an effect of available workers and the well being of the women and children. This tea towel would have been used at a later date possibly for fund raising as the group continued to meet and work together.This large blue green, yellow, brown and black with a white border, linen, tea towel has the CWA logo in the middle with pictures of handcrafted items surrounding it. Along the bottom is printed: "Handicrafts / of the / Country Women's Association of Victoria."Handicrafts / of the / Country Women's Association of Victoria - along the bottom Pure Irish Linen - bottom left Dummay - bottom righttea towel, cwa, tawonga, kitchen, linen

CWA Victoriabadge/buttons, general

The Tawonga branch of the C.W.A. commenced on the 7th Feb. 1946 and often combined activities with the other branches in the Kiewa Valley. The C.W.A. aimed to improve health, welfare and education for women and children in the country. Women living in Tawonga were mostly on farms and, in 1946, when the branch commenced would have been feeling more remote with WW11 having an effect on available workers and the well being of the women and children.Round green and white badge with the CWA logo in the centre of a green triangular shield. The logo is in gold. Around the triangular shape it is white with Victoria in gold at the top and 2 slim leaves on each side of the other sides. The badge has a green border. The back is gold and two of them have a pin attached. The third has a ring attached at the top. On the back each one has a different inscription and all are hard to read. Each badge is very slightly different in texture and depth of colour perhaps indicating that they were made at different times."Victoria / CWA" On the back - 1. Inscribed in oval shape 'Morgan Swann' but upside down to each other. 2. Inscribed - 'Stoker' 3. Inscribed - 'Stokes' or 'Stones'tawonga. country woman's association of victoria. badge. cwa logo.

This tea towel was manufactured in 1978 in Ireland and shipped to Australia. This was in a period when the C.W.A. was the major women's organisation which had the greatest influence amongst rural women (especially in isolated areas). This was a period when broad based communications were mainly by radio,women orientated magazines and the telephone. The relay of television to "remote" rural areas was not yet established. The CWA was therefore a very important organisation that catered exclusively to women's needs. The C.W.A. motto "Honour our God, Loyalty to the throne, Service to the country, Through country women, For country women, By country women." The atmosphere was one of "sisterhood" and covered nearly all the needs of rural based women. This one organisation incorporated knowledge and learning targeting women who physically may be isolated but not mentally. On the tea towel are portrayed all the activities that would be beneficial to rural women.This tea towel with its respective motifs is very significant to the Kiewa Valley as it related especially to women who felt the limitations of social interactions within a rural area. This tea towel represents a era where communications was relatively based on radio, magazines, books and limited telephone access. Within these restrictive interactive communication levels, the isolation of a "back o' Bourke" location applied tremendous mental fatigue on women more than on men.This CWA Victoria Golden Jubilee (1928-1978) tea towel is made from Irish flax at the Blackstaff Flax Spinning and Weaving factory. It is therefore of high quality and very durable. The major colours projecting from a light blue background are red, yellow, green, orange and black. The motives portrayed the activities of the CWA in 1978. These activities are embroidery, crocheting, dress making, knitting, cooking, art, macrame, drama, music, patchwork, toy making and community relief, pennies for friendship, emergency relief and welfare, residential club flats, the thanks giving and Papua New Guinea.The main or central theme of this tea towel is presented in the central area within three rings. "1928" on the left and "1978" on the right. On the top part "GOLDEN JUBILEE" and at the bottom "COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA" There are various shapes representing the activities listed above.cwa promotional material, cwa golden jubilee, women only organisations, country women's association

Organisations that Dorothy Anderson belonged to included many items to represent their clubs eg. badges, spoons, activities eg. crocheting. Dorothy lived in Tawonga indicating that those clubs existed in the town/area and were typical of regional areas of the time. These items were the property of Tawonga Citizen, Mrs Dorothy Anderson, who passed away in 2014, aged 90 years. She belonged to local clubs which existed in the area and acquired memorabilia belonging to those clubs and activities thus giving an insight into the life of women in regional towns. A personal collection of memorabilia stored in a black and cream solid but torn carry case with handle and broken clasp. Items include spoons, trophies, serviette rings name tags, member bar, pins, tea towel brooches, embroidered and crotchet items dance card pocket, birthday card, photos, pocket watch, bell, medals. Organisations: Tawonga Bowling club, CWA, Redcross, Doilies. Also refer to KVHS 0991 and KVHS 0992 Bogong Hotel On top of case written in blue biro: Laurie Anderson, Tawonga / via Wodonga / Phone No. 17tawonga., dorothy anderson, clubs, cwa, red cross, bowling club, memorabilia

Book of recipes and household Hints. Front cover imprinted with CWA logo. Title: The C.W.A Cooking Book and Household Hints: sixth Edition. CWA - For Home and Country. NB: Various loose-leave sheets of hand written recipes and newspaper cuttings of recipes.books, cookery