Country Women's Association celebrates 90 years in outback town

The Country Women's Association (CWA) branch in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this weekend, marking it as the longest continuously active branch in the territory. Founded in 1936 during a gold rush when men outnumbered women ten to one, the organisation continues to serve a population of around 3,000 people in the Barkly region, nearly 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin.

Originally formed in 1922 with just 45 women out of 600 residents, the Tennant Creek branch now seeks to attract new members to help reach its centenary year. Despite a decline in membership, volunteers like Helen Kempe, who has travelled over 1,000 km from her cattle station to maintain her association, believe the CWA remains important for isolated people, children, and women's health.

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