The Country Women’s Association is not just the largest women’s organisation in Australia but our largest regional and rural advocacy group. Group president Hannah Watterson tells me about its role in the city.

It was a hundred years ago when country women realised the cure for isolation (and a lack of health facilities) was to band together and build the world they wanted. Since 1922, the Country Women’s Association (CWA) has set up amenities ranging from hospitals and baby healthcare centres to schools, rest homes and holiday cottages, and been at the forefront of organising and running social activities in regional and rural communities throughout Australia.

One famous event on its calendar is the bake-off, where members vie for recognition as the country’s best cook – though for practical reasons it’s usually done state by state. Another is the bake sale, a classic fundraising activity that turns flour into, well, dough for its various programs. So you could say the CWA knows a thing or two about the humble scone. It’s why we invited this national institution to bake at the Sydney Tea Fair in October.

“While CWA is a strong advocacy organisation we are still known everywhere for our scones and so joining with the Australian Tea Cultural Society is a natural fit,” says Hannah Watterson, who is the group president for the CWA’s Sydney branches.

And though the CWA is known for its work in the country, these city women have an important role to play in the organisation. “The six branches within Phillip Group are based around the metropolitan area. We contribute to the CWA rural programs and we raise funds for our local charities as well as for the Phillip Group Education Grants,” Watterson explains. “We’re still fighting to help rural families receive the same care and attention of city residents. The lovely thing is the way the people in the city are so happy to help. Events like the AUSTCS Fair Day are an important way for us to further extend our connections within our community and continue to make people aware of the challenges faced by rural families.”

In 2022, its centenary year, the focus of CWA Awareness Week (19-22 September) is on rural maternity services, an echo of its first mission. “One of CWA’s early projects was the establishment of mother and baby rooms and services in country towns,” says Watterson. “The challenges those women faced in the early days are so similar to the issues we address today.”

It’s not just baking and babies, however – the members get together regularly for social events and meetings. “Fellowship is just as important as fundraising,” she adds.

And that’s the thing with scones. They’re not just fodder for afternoon tea. “CWA is known for our scones and our bake competitions and sales. But these activities offer more than just a tasty treat – they give like-minded people an interest to share and, as we say, a way to start the ‘sconeversation’. If you have people struggling to cope with daily life, feeling isolated and just plain lonely, a cup of tea and a scone is a great way to break the ice.”

The beauty of scones is that they go with so many teas, notes Watterson, but she still has pairing recommendations. “Personally I love fragrant Earl Grey or a strong black tea but many of the herbal and floral teas go equally well with a scone. Let your imagination run wild!”

This article originally appeared in AUSTCS enews 30 August 2022. Mailchimp no longer allows external links to the original newsletter.