Daily Archives: April 15, 2024

family life

April 2024 The Byron Wave


CWA Brunswick Heads Branch by Beverly Masters

Pictured: Quilts made by Brunswick Heads CWA.

During World War I, the Country Women’s Association (CWA) extended assistance to soldiers and their families by supplying clothing, care packages, and raising funds for medical provisions. Additionally, they advocated for food preservation and cultivation to alleviate shortages, coordinating communal kitchens and promoting homegrown crops.

These initiatives underscored the CWA’s dedication to community welfare and its capacity to mobilise women in times of adversity, cementing its role as a crucial support system in Australia. Annually, we pay our respects on ANZAC Day and lay a wreath at the Brunswick Heads Memorial Park on 25 April.

CWA Brunswick Heads Crafty Women meet each Friday between 10am
– 2pm, corner of Park and Booyun Street, Brunswick Heads. Join us for a chat, a cuppa and bring along your craft projects including sewing, knitting, crocheting, memory books or quilting. Women are always welcome, please bring a gold coin donation.

If you would like to be a member please email: brunscwa@gmail.com For more information visit: facebook. com/CWAofBrunswickHeads

Presidents Poem

by Beverly Masters

In the heart of a thriving community’s glow, Lies a

tapestry of stories that ebb and flow

In shared laughter and moment of tears


a bond forms stronger throughout the years

A web of support, a safety net found

In our CWA community we are uniquely bound

From diverse backgrounds, culture, and creed

In unity, may we find what we need

A mosaic of lives, each unique and bright

Listening to each other and not always having to be right

On the corner of Park and Booyun streets


Is where our CWA members and friends meet.

byronwave | April 2024

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family life

March 2024 The Byron Wave


CWA Brunswick Heads Branch by Beverly Masters

Pictured: Patch work quilt, by Bev Carbines.

The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of Brunswick Heads is hosting its highly anticipated first market of 2024 on Saturday, 23 March from 8am–1pm.

This beloved event showcases our handmade crafts, delectable jams, savoury pickles, mouth-watering cakes, and other homemade goods. Proceeds from the market will be donated to support the local community.

Visitors can expect a wide array of unique items, from handmade quilts to children’s clothing, as well as freshly baked treats. Beyond shopping, the market provides an opportunity for the community to come together in support of a worthy cause.

Our market days happen quarterly in March, June, September and December and have been a cherished tradition that our locals love and are a testament to the dedication of our CWA members who tirelessly organise them.

We also wish to recognise International Women’s Day on 8 March and express gratitude to those have paved the way for us, making our journey a bit easier.

Interested in joining the CWA in 2024? Our gatherings provide a warm and welcoming space for women of all ages to come together, learn, and celebrate their artistic endeavours. Our Friday gatherings are from 10am – 2pm (excluding public holidays). All women are welcome. Please bring a gold coin donation.

Hall hire is also available. For more information email: brunscwa@gmail.com

byronwave | March 2024

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CWA of Brunswick Heads

February 2024 The Byron Wave


CWA Brunswick Heads Branch by Beverly Masters

The Country Women’s Association (CWA) holds a special place in the hearts of many, and the Brunswick Heads branch is no exception. With its unwavering commitment to community, camaraderie, and skill-sharing, we envision a vibrant year ahead as we embark on the first meeting of the year on 2 February at 9am. Here, we will share our suggestions for the year ahead, where the money we raised will go, and reflect on 2023.

Our last donation of 2023 were our hand-made library bags for The Pocket Public School. Principal Will Glasson was happy to receive the bags, with colouring books and double-sided crayons inside for the new kindy students starting in February

Every year the CWA celebrates a country. This year that country is France. With the 2024 Olympics set in Paris, we can expect a wealth of information. France stands as an incredible nation boasting a vibrant history and culture, alongside delectable cuisine, and wines. Perhaps we will create some French doll outfits or try making some crepes or eclairs?

Interested in joining the CWA in 2024? Our gatherings provide a warm and welcoming space for women of all ages to come together, learn, and celebrate their artistic endeavours. You can expect lively conversations, stories, and an exchange

of ideas. Our Friday gatherings from 10am – 2pm (excluding public holidays) provide a platform for continuous learning and personal development. All women are welcome – please bring a gold coin donation. Hall hire is also available. Email: brunscwa@gmail.com to find out more.

CWA of Brunswick Heads

January 2024 The Byron Wave


CWA Brunswick Heads Branch by Beverly Masters

Pictured: Brunswick Heads CWA ladies at their Christmas party.

Happy New Year 2024. We welcome you to our Crafty Women of Brunswick Heads, Country Women’s Association. We are women who not only enjoy various crafts, but cherish the company of fellow women and raising much needed funds for specific projects within our community and beyond.

At the end of 2023, we were busy bees. The CWA celebrated with local centenarian, Joyce Rankin – happy 100th to our dear pioneer. We held a working bee to clear out the front yard and remove the old stumps in the back to make mowing easier – a big thank you to our members and the husbands who helped. A sewing machine was also donated to the CWA, and we have been making great use of it in our crafts. We also had our Christmas Party, which was a lot of fun.

Our last Market Day of 2023, held in December, was a great success, and attended by many people looking for homemade and unique Christmas gifts. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for our next Market Day. You can find lots of delicious goodies and handmade crafts.

Interested in joining the CWA in 2024? Our gatherings provide a warm and welcoming space for women of all ages to come together, learn, and celebrate their artistic endeavours. You can expect lively conversations, as women gather to share stories, and exchange ideas. Our Friday gatherings from 10am – 2pm (excluding public holidays) provide a platform for continuous learning and personal development. All women are welcome – please bring a gold coin donation.

Hall hire is also available. Email brunscwa@gmail.com to find out more.

CWA of Brunswick Heads

December 2023 The Byron Wave


CWA Brunswick Heads Branch by Beverly Masters

Brunswick Heads CWA is a growing branch with memberships up this year. We are seeing locals who live around the corner joining our crafty women
on Fridays, as well as a few who live further afield on farms, and are looking for some company instead of crafting on their own.

There is plenty going on at our CWA. When we have a mission like cooking for the Brunswick Heads Picture House or preparing for Market Days, we all have our roles and the quote ‘many hands make light work’ springs to mind. These ladies know how to sew quilts, aprons and children’s clothing, crochet throws, and knit baby clothes, as well as how to make the wonderful jams, pickles, and cakes – all of which are for sale on market days. Where would we be without these amazing nimble fingers? We also now have a new look entrance ramp that will make it easier for prams and wheelchair access.

All women are welcome for Friday Crafty Women sessions. Come in and share your talents with us or learn some new ones. There is complementary tea and biscuits but please bring a gold coin donation. Our last Crafty Women is Friday 15 December and we will be back on 12 January 2024.

Our next Market Day is Saturday 9 December 8am–1pm and if you are interested in renting our lovely space in Brunswick Heads, please email: brunscwa@gmail.com

CWA of Brunswick Heads

November 2023 The Byron Wave


CWA Brunswick Heads by Beverly Masters

October was a month of transformation for the CWA as they held their Annual General Meeting. Charelle Giobatti, who had served as President, graciously passed the torch to Beverly Masters, who also retained her role as Publicity Officer. Donna assumed the new position of Cultural Officer, and her diverse responsibilities promise exciting times ahead. Janice Wyness now serves as Vice-President.

After the AGM, members gathered for tea and cake to celebrate and express gratitude to Charelle, who has been an integral part of the CWA for 12 years and led the Club during the challenging times of the pandemic. Beverly baked an upside-down pineapple gratitude cake, a sweet token of appreciation.

Despite the pouring rain, the CWA’s market day was a resounding success. The unwavering support of the locals ensured a bustling time with a variety of cakes, jams, and handcrafted items, from charming tea cosies to lovely dresses.

As November unfolds, the CWA is gearing up for an exciting Melbourne Cup adventure in Mooball. Stay tuned for the next edition to catch a glimpse of the CWA members in their finest race day attire.

And mark your calendars for Saturday 9 December for the next CWA market day. A treasure trove of fabulous items awaits, making it the perfect opportunity to find unique Christmas presents for your loved ones. The CWA is always happy to accept new members.

family life

October The Byron Wave


by Beverly Masters, CWA Brunswick Heads

We are lucky to live in such a beautiful place, although many of us may never be classified locals by the locals you can still join the CWA, meet new people, pick up a new hobby,
or as one of our members has done, finish crocheting a baby’s dress, started in the 1990s, with expert help from our members who have been crocheting for years.

There is currently a great opportunity to shadow our Secretary, Mary, over the next year to learn the ropes. Mary has been our Secretary for three years and is a great asset to the Club. This would be a good opportunity for anyone interested in becoming Secretary and being more involved in the community through CWA. Forms for nominations need to be submitted as soon as possible for our Friday 6 October Election day. Please email: brunscwa@gmail.com for more information.

Our next Market day is on Saturday 7 October. We raise much needed funds for community members so please come to see our craft work, cakes, jams pickles and plants. The Market runs between 8am–1pm at the corner of Park and Booyun Streets, Brunswick Heads. Cash only.

The past few months we have welcomed new members, who are enjoying our Friday Crafty Women sessions. We are a friendly and diverse group of women who live locally in the Byron/Tweed area.

byronwave | October 2023

family life

September The Byron Wave


Community in brief

CWA Brunswick branch, by Beverly Masters

Pictured: Pat Davis and her mum, Marie James, at CWA 75th Anniversary Celebration with their memories displayed behind them.

Our 75th year celebration was a great success and we displayed our crafty work and memories from the past.
The free sausage sizzle was popular, and it was wonderful to see so many CWA members from surrounding clubs congratulating us. We are currently working on our 75th year Anniversary Cookbook, with inexpensive and tasty recipes, and we are planning to have it ready for our December Market Day. A part of the celebrations included creating a time capsule, which will be buried with various memories of the CWA and unearthed in 25 years at the 100th year celebration.

We also featured a special family on our 75th anniversary. The James family has been using the CWA rooms each Boxing Day for the past 28 years. The tradition began in 1994 when mother and grandmother Marie James became unwell. The family decided to hire the CWA rooms on Boxing Day so the extended family could gather for what could have been her last Christmas. Family came from Warwick, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Lismore and all around. Marie passed away the next year, but the James family have continued their Boxing Day pilgrimage every year.

‘The CWA rooms have been a wonderful venue for our gatherings and the CWA ladies have been very good to
us,’ said Marie. ‘We wish to thank them very much for their kindness and we will continue gathering at Brunswick Heads for many years, perhaps generations, to come.’

CWA of Brunswick Heads

August 2023 The Byron Wave


Brunswick Heads CWA

by Beverly Masters, CWA Publicity

At the CWA in Brunswick Heads there is always something fantastic going on, and now that we have entered our 75th year, we are thrilled to have more support from our locals.

The Hotel Brunswick have added CWA of Brunswick Heads as a charity to which Publinc points are donated. The Publinc Communities program is a social impact initiative that allows customers of local venues to gain points and contribute to the causes they care about most by donating these points. One Publinc point equals 1c and expires every June and December, so be sure to redeem them and consider us when donating your Publinc points. The CWA joins other Hotel Brunswick peers who have received a combined $63,400 from the venue to date.

Another hero organisation for the CWA is Koh Living. They have been absolute legends, and for over a year now have sent us donations to help better support the community, particularly, the locals who were affected by the floods. The donations have been $50 gift cards for essentials, toiletries and giftware, as well as education support for our local schools. Koh Living donations have been put to good use.

The CWA of NSW is still advocating for many important issues, including a state-wide cat curfew, containment, and enforcement of desexing; strengthened legislation to protect koala habitats; establishment of a dedicated Palliative Care Unit in regional NSW hospitals; and advocating State and Commonwealth Governments to take urgent coordinated action to address the national housing crisis facing women.

For more information visit on CWA of NSW’s current projects visit: cwaofnsw.org.au/Web/Web/Current-Issues