Community & Business
1 March, 2022
Celebrating 100 years of country women
THOUSANDS of stories have been told over the last century of a group of rural women who gathered together and gave everything they could to the Mareeba community.
In conjunction with International Women’s Day being celebrated this week, the Queensland Country Women’s Association is marking its 100th year as an influential community group connecting regional and rural women.
Mareeba’s QCWA has a rich history dating back to 1926, with stories of war time and the growth of Mareeba being shared through the decades to younger generations.
Vice president and craft convener Helen Elmes has grown up surrounded by the QCWA and has been digging deep into the history over the last century of the Mareeba and Aerial Outpost branches as their centenary fast approaches.
She has even revisited the minutes of the first meetings in the roaring 1920s, assisted by accounts from her great grandma, Emily Maude Croft, who was the original caretaker during that period.
“The branch started here in Mareeba in 1926, and they started having their meetings at the old school of arts which is now the shire hall,” Helen said.
“They hosted return servicemen and catered for balls and what they did in the 2nd World War was phenomenal.”
The Mareeba Branch sent gifts such as marmalades, crocheted blankets and lard soap bars to soldiers who were in bad conditions and couldn’t return home.
“They would send over a couple of bottles of marmalade, and it would stay on the table, and everyone was allowed to have a share of it, because things were really scarce in those times,” Helen said.
“They knitted socks for the infirmary and sent lard soaps over to England, especially to those who couldn’t come home.
“We were recognised by the Mareeba servicemen who served in the first World War, and we have a special letter of appreciation from them signed personally by all the servicemen – it’s extremely valuable to us.”
Mareeba branch president Jessie Richardson, vice president Doreen Whelan and dedicated member Pam Hart have great passion for the organisation and the benefits it offers.
“It was the QCWA who carried (my sister-in-law) through – she had nobody else and two children to care for and that is who she turned to,” Jessie said.
Doreen has been a member since 1976 and said despite changes through the years, the QCWA had always remained a caring and inclusive place.
“Everyone staying together for 100 years is pretty amazing. I think that the passion behind it has been the reasons we are still here, and it’s been carried on all this time,” she said.
“A few things have changed – lifestyles have changed. QCWA was originally a contact for women who were far off into the bush while men went off to war and were lost, so the women would join and take on big jobs and get that comfort from each other. We still do that now, even though men aren’t heading off to world wars anymore.”
Pam particularly fell in love with the group when she lost her husband.
“One of the members brought me over here and I found great comfort here – the ladies are beautiful, and it helped me,” she said.
“I didn’t go into a bad depression because I had QCWA to come to every Wednesday and then we started the Saturday craft and doing movies once a month.
“I was active, if there was cleaning to do I did it, and it was a great help and comfort for me. I found new friends – we are all one big happy family and that’s how we should be.”
