Mortlake exhibition a success

COUNTRY Women’s Association (CWA) members from across the region brought their talents to Mortlake as part of the 2024 Creative Arts Exhibition.

Mortlake hosts a hit: Members of the Country Women’s Association, including (from left) Warrnambool’s Pam Andrew, Mortlake’s Sue Long and Allansford’s Bev Byron, were delighted with the success of the CWA South Western Group’s Creative Arts Exhibition being held in Mortlake for the first time.

The annual exhibition is hosted each year by the CWA South Western Group, representing members across the region who all put their best foot forward across a wide range of arts, crafts and cooking for the public to enjoy.

CWA South Western Group president Sue Long, who is a member of the Mortlake Day Branch, said she was delighted with the success of the event which this year had been hosted in Mortlake for the first time aT Soldier’s Memorial Hall.

“We think it’s been a wonderful success,” she said.

“I think hosting the event at the same time as the Mortlake Art Show has been a great idea because people were coming to Mortlake anyway.

“It’s why we, as the Mortlake branch, thought it would be a good opportunity to have it in Mortlake.

“We’ve had people coming back and forth between our exhibition and the art show, so it’s been very successful.”

Mrs Long said this year the Creative Arts Exhibition saw a higher number of entries than the previous event 18 months ago, which encompasses the 12 groups in the CWA South Western Group spanning between Warrnambool, Cobden, Camperdown and Mortlake.

This included hundreds of items from cooking to crafts, patchwork, embroidery, knitting, crochet, photography and floral displays.

“We’re really delighted with the number of entries we’ve seen,” Mrs Long said.

“We’re really happy with the quality from our members, it was never a doubt but to hear the public acknowledge it and express how glad they were to have come to see the talent from across the south west was lovely.
“It means a lot for our members to have an opportunity to show off their talent.”

CWA Warrnambool branch president Pam Andrew said a large number of additional entries had played a role in enticing visitors to flock to the event.

“About 140 extra members have put in things this time,” she said.

“We’ve been asking people to leave the post code so we know where they visited from, and we’re seeing people come from across the whole area.

“It was really wonderful to see people coming from Colac, Cobden or Portland.”

Mrs Long thanked Origin Energy as major sponsors of the event.

“We appreciate their help,” she said.

“They provided a grant which was vital in helping us cover our costs, including booking the hall, and anything we have left over will be used to support other entities in the community.

“We’re very grateful for Origin Energy’s support.”

This year Warrnambool took out the aggregate win, with Allansford and Terang rounding out the top three.

Mrs Long said she welcomed the opportunity for new aspiring members to join the CWA and help to continue its mission of supporting women, children and families through philanthropic work, friendship, personal development and advocacy.

“We’ve always got something for everyone,” she said.

“Being part of the CWA and even part of these exhibitions is not about winning, it’s about learning enthusiasm and confidence – it’s all about personal growth in the CWA and learning from other members.”

Anyone interested in joining the CWA can learn more at www.cwaofvic.org.au.