Volunteers help drive community

In Ceduna, such people include Kath Dunn, Claire Collins, Jenny Skinner and Mary Fox.

As well as being members of the Ceduna branch of the SA Country Women's Association, they can reel off an impressive list of volunteer organisations where they spend their time and energy, including Meals on Wheels, the Red Cross, the Ceduna Hospital and Village Auxiliary Incorporated and the local op shops.

Kath, who was recognised in the 2020 Ceduna District Council's Australia Day awards as citizen of the year, says this drive was instilled in her by her mother.

"Growing up, my mother always told me, you have to help your community," she said. "I like being involved and helping."

As well as her roles as SACWA branch vice-president, Friends of the Women's and Children's Hospital Ceduna branch vicepresident, and formerly Ceduna Hospital and Village Auxiliary Incorporated chairperson, Kath is a former Oysterfest ambassador, a role in which she raised an impressive sum of money.

All up, she raised $33,000 in less than eight months, with the money split between Oysterfest and the Far West Little Athletics - an organisation she sees as important for future generations.

Most of this money was raised through cake stalls, as luckily she loves to bake - her friends say she "makes the most beautiful sponges".

Claire, who took on the Ceduna Hospital and Village Auxiliary chairperson role from Kath, said it could be very easy to get involved in many community groups.

"Sometimes it's not that you have wonderful skills, it's that you're prepared to step forward," she said.

Jenny finds time to be an op shop assistant manager and SACWA branch president, among other commitments, and says it is a good feeling to find yourself involved in supporting the community.

Mary has taken a step back from many of her volunteer roles, which included the op shop, Red Cross and being a former SACWA branch and Western Group president, saying age had some advantages. But she has not let it slow her down much at all.

Just 10 years ago, she was a regular on the City to Bay circuit, competing the three-kilometre walk with her granddaughter five times, using it to fundraise for the SACWA.

She has also volunteered in the SACWA kitchen at the Royal Adelaide Show.

Cath says this drive to put a hand up was common in the country and "Ceduna is a special country town".

"You've got to step forward if you want something in the community," she said.

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As well as a love of giving back to the community, what unites these women is their membership in the Ceduna branch of the SA Country Women's Association.

Between them, they have more than a century's connection to the iconic group.

Mary and Kath were among the founding members of the Coorabook branch, which combined representatives from the towns of Coorabie and Bookabie when it opened in 1967.

Mary says there was not that much knowledge in the area about what SACWA was at the time, but they were "happy to head along".

"The more you get involved, the more you learn what it's about," she said.

For many of those early members, the social aspect and friendship was a major drawcard.

Kath said the two communities were quite small, with just a "tennis court, a school and a few houses".

"If I wanted to go shopping, I needed to go to Penong or Ceduna and those were a fair distance away," she said.

Eventually the Coorabook branch merged with the Ceduna branch, which celebrated 87 years in July.

And while branch president Jenny says the group has been involved in giving back to the community, including planting trees and installing tables, chairs and shelters in parks - as they did for the 70th anniversary - the social aspect remains an important part of the experience.

Many members meet regularly for craft mornings, sometimes doing the new projects shared by branch craft officer Claire, but sometimes just working on their own projects.

"You sometimes need the stimulus of people around and we could spend the whole day here, just chatting and not doing a stitch," Claire said.