Ladies gather at Darkan CWA International Women’s Day sundowner with Mia Davies, Gay Growden, Tania Taylor

It was the talk of town and the hottest ticket around — Darkan CWA’s first International Women’s Day event. Twinkling fairy lights and inspirational stories set the scene for the reinvigorated CWA of WA branch’s first major soiree and there was no better way to celebrate than by bringing together more than 100 women. With stormy skies and the promise of rain, the event was shifted from the Darkan Oval to the Darkan Town Hall at the 11th hour but despite the change, organisers pulled off an IWD celebration for the ages. A steady stream of women — and men — attending the event paused on their way in to buy a raffle ticket, with hundreds of dollars raised to help repair the existing Darkan CWA headquarters in town. A red curtain backdrop decorated with fairy lights highlighted the stage for the evening’s guest speakers, which included Central Wheatbelt MLA Mia Davies, Dunsborough CWA chair Gay Growden, and Bodhi Day Spa owner Tania Taylor. With 50 years of involvement with various branches of the CWA of WA, Ms Growden shared her journey of growing up in Darkan and how joining the CWA allowed her to connect with women from all walks of life. While Bodhi Day Spa founder Tania Taylor is well-known in WA’s wellness scene, not all outside of Darkan would know she originally hails from the small town and grew up in a small shop with her Italian immigrant parents on the main street. Ms Davies shared her inspirational story of growing up in the small town of Wyalkatchem, as a shy young girl who her teachers “would never have expected” would become one of WA’s most well-known politicians and a polished public speaker. Darkan CWA president Eloisa Goss said the group had gone through a major revamp in the past year, with a new committee set up to enable the five original ladies involved could take a step back while still being members. With just five people registered as members in early 2021, the branch looked likely to shut down until mother-and-daughter team Caroline and Bonnie Telfer “messaged everyone they knew”. After realising the important history of the Darkan-based group, local women rallied and now about 30 have joined the “reinvigorated branch”. Learning about the history of the CWA of WA was first on the agenda, and then the group’s attention turned to the perfect mixture of fundraising and funds. “We are really opening up people’s knowledge of what CWA offers, and how it is about supporting regional women,” Ms Goss said. “We have tried really hard to get those intergenerational connections happening. . . across different groups. “Often when your children grow up and you leave the parents and citizens group, there are no other groups. “So this was about bringing all women, from all walks of life, together to celebrate fun and friendship, to have a cup of tea and figure out some fundraisers we can do.” Among their first activities to bring women together were cake stalls, a cupcake decorating course, a flower decorating course, and an information session on motherhood and raising babies. For those in a more mature age bracket, a different workshop focused on menopause and peri-menopause which Ms Goss said allowed local women to share their stories. Ms Growden attracted plenty of clapping when she handed back the Darkan CWA president’s pin she had been holding onto for years, passing it on to the current president Ms Goss. Inside, the hall was transformed with tables and chairs adorned with white tablecloths, a white marquee, and plenty of decorations while a lively bar was manned by male farmers from across the Wheatbelt and Great Southern. On the menu — free-flowing canapes prepared by the CWA and a 2m-long desert bar with fruit, cakes and biscuits. The food was complemented by a range of wines and champagne, and tea and coffee for those driving later in the evening. The celebration was one of dozens held across regional WA on March 8 to mark International Women’s Day. SEE THE PICTURES BELOW