West Footscray local Louise Taylor, who is behind the move, told the Star Weekly newspaper that the association was more than just a place for baking, and could be a way of combating loneliness and helping to advocate for women and children.
While the organisation was originally set up to help women in rural settings, Taylor said the model could also work in other areas. She stressed:
“It’s really about friendship. I think there’s a lot of urban isolation – it’s not just in the country. It’s somewhere women can have a friendship group, be part of a community.
Taylor held an information meeting in Footscray this month and is hoping to drum up support from locals. Techniques and services such as flyer printing would be a cost-effective way to promote the group more widely around the area, while poster printing could also be used to advertise in shop windows.
The Country Women’s Association began in 1922 in New South Wales and Queensland and gradually spread to other areas of Australia. While numbers have declined in some areas, there are still about 6,000 members across Victoria and several new groups have been set up in recent years.