At the 80th birthday celebrations are (from left) Gawler CWA current president Kay Lucas, former Gawler and state CWA president Linda Bertram, Mayor Karen Redman, Member for Light Tony Piccolo, Gawler CWA past president and celebrations committee chair Marilyn Curtis, SACWA deputy state president Davina Quirke, and the Governor’s wife and SA CWA patron Lan Le. PHOTO: Gawler Council
Nick Hopton
LAN Le, the wife of Governor Hieu Van Le, was special guest at South Australian Country Women’s Association Gawler branch’s 80th birthday celebrations on Monday.
Mrs Le, who is patron of SACWA, said she was thrilled to mark the milestone in Gawler Civic Centre with other dignitaries and Gawler branch members.
She cut a special 80th birthday cake with Gawler branch past president, Barossa group president and chair of the celebrations committee Marilyn Curtis, who spoke on the occasion’s theme of “Not just tea and scones”.
Mrs Curtis, Gawler Mayor Karen Redman, SACWA deputy state president Davina Quirke, Member for Light Tony Piccolo and SACWA past state president and Gawler past president Linda Bertram paid tribute to the branch, formed on April 3, 1940.
Mr Piccolo praised the CWA’s ability to “modernise”, allowing it to survive when many other service clubs had not.
Mrs Bertram said Mrs Le was a “wonderful ambassador” for the organisation and praised the support the branch received from Ms Redman and Gawler Council.
Mention was made of the branch’s first president, Miss Florence Barnet, of the Barnet family that owned The Bunyip.
The branch is this week holding an 80th anniversary memorabilia display in room G3 at the Civic Centre, from 9am to 5pm today and Friday, 10am to 6pm tomorrow and 9am to noon on Saturday.
