The Perth Mint has released a $1 commemorative coin to celebrate the Centenary of the Country Women’s Association in Queensland and New South Wales.
It acknowledges 100 years of service and advocacy for country women and their families.
Centenary team member of the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA) Christine King said she thought the coin conveyed a beautiful message.
“It showed the Perth Mint had put a lot of thought into it and been very supportive of what the CWA has meant to the community over the years,” she said.
The QCWA was founded in August 1922 to provide a window of relief from the tyranny of distance for rural women by offering friendship, support and connection.
Founding president was the remarkable and quintessential countrywoman Ruth Fairfax.
By 1928 there were 283 branches with 13,000 members spread across Queensland and by 1936 there were branches across the country.
The Country Women’s Association of Australia is now the nation’s largest non-government organisation for women with 44,000 members.
The commemorative coin’s design portrays the association’s ability to uplift women’s spirits, providing them with support and a voice while raising awareness about equality for women living in remote country regions and towns.
The coin features an intricate pattern of a cotton doily in a nod to the CWA’s well-known skills in crafts and cooking, which are used for fundraising in their support of various causes.
Within the doily are abstract female figures holding hands to show the association’s strong network of support, friendship and collaboration.
The inner circle of the design symbolises a hot country sun, which is gold-plated on the SGP version.
Inside the sun is a lone silhouette of a country mother and child, with the space around them illustrating country isolation.
Within her shadow are eight female figures which represent each state/territory that make up the Country Women’s Association of Australia.
The QCWA continues to provide a space for Queensland women to connect, collaborate, and impact communities.
The state currently has more than 200 branches and more than 3500 members.
The CWA coin is available for purchase with a recommended retail price of $12.50. Additionally, there is a special gold-pated (SGP) commemorative coin with a RRP of $80.
