Capel CWA Rooms

Statement of Significance

The CWA Rooms, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
• The place represents the endeavours of the original members to fulfil the objectives of the CWA charter;
• the place is important to the CWA association and the local community;
• the place has been in continuous use by the CWA; and,
• the urban context of the place is significant as it is a component of a secondary civic precinct of the town created by the presence of the railway station site (to the south-west) and the post office opposite.

Physical Description

The CWA Room is located on the south side of Properjohn Road opposite the Post Office. To the immediate south is the site of the former railway station. The building is set amongst a glade of trees giving it a restful and sylvan presence in the streetscape. The urban context of the place is significant as it is a component of a secondary civic precinct of the town created by the presence of the railway station site (to the south-west) and the post office opposite.

The building is a basic utilitarian design, typical of depression era buildings. It is a gable roofed timber framed structure clad externally with fibrous cement sheeting above a horizontal weatherboard dado. Windows are casement type with minimum subdivision. The obscured glass front door panel has the original CWA logo etched onto it. Internal cladding is plasterboard with dado rails around the main meeting room. All building fabric appears to be original and in sound condition.
The original layout is unchanged and consists of a porch with a foyer on the northern side which opens into the main meeting/function room that runs the full width of the building. On the south side of this room is the kitchen and store room/toilet. The kitchen has a Metters No.1 wood stove in a brick fireplace that backs on to the main rooms’ corner open fireplace. The CWA Building is generally in sound condition but maintenance work needs to be undertaken.

History

Assessment: 2003
Construction: 1935
Builder: W.Barrett & Sons
1925, four country branches had been formed. The main aims of the association were to improve the welfare, conditions and life of country women, provide assistance when necessary and generally to keep women, who would otherwise be isolated, informed about the world outside their immediate environs. To help achieve these aims one of the associations main goals was the construction of a Rest Room in country towns which could be used by women and children when they came into town. These rooms not only functioned as a place where women could feed and change their babies, but also as places for social inter action and education.
At the end of two years, twenty-nine branches had opened, including Younger Sets which were formed to meet the needs of girls and younger women. The association developed rapidly and a magazine was launched in 1934 to help inform the women of the association’s activities. A cook book was released in 1936. The association was also instrumental in developing the concept of training women to take over the job of men in agricultural areas during World War Two. At the peak of its popularity the Country Women's Association had 330 branches (1965) with a total membership of 12,250 women (1956).6 The Capel CWA was formed in 1924 but it was not until 1935 that a building was constructed for their use.

Although a fundraising effort was made, the money for the construction was mainly through an interest free loan provided by Mrs Lodge – the president at that time. It must be remembered that this was the Depression Era and money for community facilities was hard to raise. The land was leased from the WAGR which was adjacent to the Capel Railway Station. In return for the use of the land, the CWA came to an arrangement with WAGR that railway personnel could rest between shifts on stretchers in the building In its heyday, the Association arranged cultural and educational activities such as debutante balls, “boxed” lectures (supplied by UWA), fund raising fetes/bazaars and choirs. The role of the CWA in the community gradually lost ground as the younger women took up other interests and today there are only a few members (who consider themselves too old to carry on for much longer).

Integrity/Authenticity

Heritage Integrity: high

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.