The Country Women's Association of Western Australia (CWA of WA) is a woman's club in Western Australia. The first meeting was held in Perth in early 1924, and their first four branches were established the same year. Mabel Craven-Griffith was elected the first president at their first conference in 1925. It was part of the

Country Women's Association The Country Women's Association (CWA) is a women's organisation in Australia, which seeks to advance interests of women, families, and communities in Australia, especially those in rural, regional, and remote areas. It comprises seven indep ...

(CWA). The Association's purpose was "to improve the welfare and conditions of life of people everywhere, especially those living in the country, to foster friendship and understanding and to encourage co-operation and community effort". Their first priority was to establish rest rooms; located in the CWA of WA branches, these spaces provided a place for

rural women Rural women play a fundamental role in rural communities around the world providing care and being involved in number of economic pursuits such as subsistence farming, petty trading and off-farm work. In most parts of the world, rural women work v ...

and their children to rest and eat when they were in the town. In 1934 the CWA of WA began publishing their newsletter ''The Countrywoman of Western Australia'', which became a monthly publication in 1940. Of note was the CWA of WA's participation in the war effort during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, establishing a war relief fund and participating in the

Australian Women's Land Army The Australian Women's Land Army (AWLA) was an organisation created in World War II in Australia to combat rising labour shortages in the farming sector. The AWLA organised female workers to be employed by farmers to replace male workers who had ...

. Membership reached its peak in the mid 1950s with 12,000 members in about 250 branches. In 2001 the CWA of WA left the national Country Women's Association, but remains active.

Historic sites

Several heritage register listings recognize Association-related sites in Western Australia, including: *CWA House Bunbury, on the

State Register of Heritage Places The State Register of Heritage Places is the heritage register of historic sites in Western Australia deemed significant at the state level by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. History In the 1970s, following its establishment of the N ...

* Country Women's Association, Mullewa * Country Women's Association Rest Rooms, Denmark * Kojonup Road Board Office (The Women's Club) * Northcliffe CWA Hall * Pemberton Country Womens Association Hall

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Country Women's Association of Western Australia Rural organisations in Western Australia 1924 establishments in Australia Organizations established in 1924 Country Women's Association Women in Western Australia