Milestone to be marked with reflection on past
A rural women's collective will celebrate its 95th milestone by looking to the past.
The Thornbury branch of Rural Women New Zealand will mark its 95th jubilee this week by honouring those from the past who helped build the community.
The gathering of 40 past and present members and guests will come together for an afternoon of reflection and sharing of stories at the Riverton Senior Citizens Hall this Sunday.
Thornbury Rural Women president Maree Crowley said the milestone was remarkable and the celebration would focus on 95 years of friendship, community service and rural advocacy.
"It is a time for us to honour the legacy of the women who helped shape our rural community and a time to look ahead for the future," Ms Crowley said.
The founding members held their first meeting in the Thornbury Hall on July 30, 1930 under the leadership of first president Mrs H.T Anderson.
The group started with 30 members and grew to 50 by 1960.
The members played their part for the World War 2 effort by producing face cloths , handkerchiefs, bed socks and mittens for soldiers' parcels.
Ms Crowley said it was important to remember the contribution rural women had made towards the war effort and local causes.
"They fundraised for local causes, supported families in need and advocated for rural issues.
"These women built the Thornbury legacy and the legacy continues today."
The current members produce knitwear for babies and continue to support charitable cause the Uplift Project, an initiative which collects and sends new and second-hand bras to women in disadvantaged communities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Milestone to be marked with reflection on past
Thornbury Rural Women at a celebration in Otautau in 2022. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A rural women's collective will celebrate its 95th milestone by looking to the past. The Thornbury branch of Rural Women New Zealand will mark its 95th jubilee this week by honouring those from the past who helped build the community. The gathering of 40 past and present members and guests will come together for an afternoon of reflection and sharing of stories at the Riverton Senior Citizens Hall this Sunday. Thornbury Rural Women president Maree Crowley said the milestone was remarkable and the celebration would focus on 95 years of friendship, community service and rural advocacy. "It is a time for us to honour the legacy of the women who helped shape our rural community and a time to look ahead for the future," Ms Crowley said. The founding members held their first meeting in the Thornbury Hall on July 30, 1930 under the leadership of first president Mrs H.T Anderson. The group started with 30 members and grew to 50 by 1960. The members played their part for the World War 2 effort by producing face cloths , handkerchiefs, bed socks and mittens for soldiers' parcels. Ms Crowley said it was important to remember the contribution rural women had made towards the war effort and local causes. "They fundraised for local causes, supported families in need and advocated for rural issues. "These women built the Thornbury legacy and the legacy continues today." The current members produce knitwear for babies and continue to support charitable cause the Uplift Project, an initiative which collects and sends new and second-hand bras to women in disadvantaged communities.
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Exhibition digs up lost stories from the city's oldest cemeteries
Photo: Christchurch City Council A new exhibition aims to shed light on the stories from Christchurch's oldest cemeteries. Grave Insights: Plotting Lives in Christchurch Cemeteries is part of the regular series, Tuakiri Investigates. It will run from Thursday, July 24, to September 14 at Tūranga. The project has been developed to complement the Christchurch Family History Expo, which is being held from August 2-3. Said city council acting head of libraries and information Rosie Levi: 'This exhibition will appeal to anyone who might have spent time meandering in some of the city's older cemeteries and wondered at the people buried there – who they were and the lives they might have led.' Using the cemetery plans and other resources, the Tuakiri team uncovered some of those lost stories. John Guntrip was buried alongside his second wife, Sarah, in plot 89C at the Barbadoes St Cemetery. Photo: Supplied They include a grandmother and grandson buried side by side, a soldier buried at sea, and one of Christ Church Cathedral's first bell-ringers among them. John Guntrip was buried in plot 89C at the Barbadoes St Cemetery, alongside his second wife Sarah. John was head sexton at the cemetery for many years after he beat out 38 other candidates to claim the position in 1875. Originally John was a gardener from Middlesex. He arrived in the city on the Huntress in 1863 and started showing his horticultural skills, creating fruit, vegetable and flower displays for Christchurch Horticultural Society shows. He also became one of the first bellringers at the newly built Christ Church Cathedral in 1881. John died in 1916. The Rutherford Street (Woolston) Cemetery opened in 1852. Photo: Supplied Another story to arise was about Mary Ann Harvey. Mary was buried in the Rutherford St (Woolston) Cemetery following her death on February 29, 1917. Her granddaughter Lillian May Arnold, died on December 22, 1916, and was buried at the foot of the plot. Mary also rests alongside a memorial to her son, Josiah, who died at sea from influenza somewhere between Sierra Leone, West Africa, and Plymouth, England, on his way to World War 2. The Rutherford St Cemetery opened in 1851 and closed in 1885. It is the oldest cemetery in the city, followed by Woolston Cemetery, which dates back to 1866.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Scoop
Rural Women New Zealand 100 Years Of Service
Past, Present and Future - The Rural Women New Zealand Centennial year For 100 years RWNZ, originally Women's Division of the Farmers Union, has been a force to reckon with, sometimes quietly and humbly, and sometimes with an audacious display of courage and lateral thinking. Always though, for the benefit of rural women and rural communities right across Aotearoa. New Zealand. As it marks 100 years of existence this year, and celebrates its Centennial, it will be stepping up its work to meet the needs of the next generation of rural women. It will be there to advocate; for health access and services, for connectivity, for safer rural roads, for education for rural students, for those areas where rural women and their communities are not as well served as their urban counterparts. Without the contribution of RWNZ the rural environment would look vastly different today. Not long after forming in 1925 the lack of access to health for rural communities led to the development of a programme where Bush Nurses on horse-back provided health care to remote areas. The organisation went on to create incredible health progammes through the decades. A legacy can be seen in the likes of Access Community Health, still providing services across the country today. In the 1940s members wanted to support the war effort. Within a month they'd raised 5,000 pounds to buy a Spitfire, the equivalent of around $630,000 in today's money. That energy and innovation is a recurring theme. In the early 80's members took to the streets and to the steps of Parliament to protest government reforms. Today, as well as advocacy, activities continue to include community fundraising, volunteering, business development, and generally getting stuck in when it's needed, including during adverse events. For 100 years Rural Women New Zealand has made a massive contribution to New Zealand, and they're not stopping.
