MALENY QCWA branch will celebrate the Queensland Country Women’s Association’s upcoming 100th birthday on November 2 with a Roaring Twenties Melbourne Cup lunch – and you’re invited!
The first CWA committee was formed on August 11, 1922 and since then QCWA branches around the state have been a place for women to come together, enjoy each other’s company and help their local community.
In 1936 the Maleny branch was affiliated with an organisation called Australian Comforts Fund and worked actively for the welfare of soldiers, regularly sending food parcels to England.
The new rest rooms opened in June 1953. The rooms were used to house hospital patients in 1963 when a cyclone forced an evacuation of the Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospital on New Year’s Day.
In 1993 part of the rest rooms were relinquished so the visitor information centre could be established and in 2005 another part of the rest rooms were turned into the Maleny Community Centre office, with the CWA rooms relocated to the old Scout den.
The upcoming QCWA centenary celebrations are certainly something the ladies of the Maleny branch are proud to be apart of.
Sara Faddy has been a member of the local group for 18 years and said numbers were on the up.
“We’re at 22 members now, which is really fantastic,” Sara said.
“We had half that amount for quite a long time so we’re glad women are looking for friendship and want to join us.”
Like every community group, the Maleny QCWA ladies had to adjust their schedules when COVID hit but they’re proud to now boast some new technology skills after using Zoom to conduct their meetings for quite some time.
Now back in their regular meeting place at 1 Bicentenary Lane Maleny, Sara is encouraging women to join up.
“We meet once a month on the first Tuesday of each month,” she said.
“We’d love as many people as possible to come join us both for our Roaring Twenties-themed event and for our regular meetings.”
Tickets for the Melbourne Cup event are $50, which covers refreshment on arrival, sweeps, fashion parade, picnic lunch and prize for the best dressed in theme. Drinks can be purchased from the licensed bar and make sure you have some cash on hand to purchase tickets in great raffle draws.
The event will be held from 10.30am at the Maleny Community Centre at 23 Maple Street and is limited to 100 tickets. Tickets can be purchased at Flaunt Maleny at 5/4 Maple Street
Main image: Maleny QCWA branch secretary Carolyn Summers, vice president Karen Livesey and president Suzanne Nugent get ready for Melbourne Cup day