Lottie Hastie remembers her first Country Women's Association meeting as if it were yesterday.
The Far North Queenslander was 23 when she joined the Tolga branch in the Tablelands in 1944, when Australia was in the depths of World War II.
Ms Hastie, 101, has the honour of being the oldest registered member in the state as the Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) celebrates its 100th birthday today.
"There was an old house where soldiers could go and write their letters and we used to serve them a cup of tea and a sandwich," she said.
"We also used to make sausage rolls on the old wooden stove because there was no electricity."
The centenarian has done it all during her 78 years with the QCWA, from president and secretary of her local branch all the way to state vice president.
It is this dedication that earned her an Order of Australia medal in 1996 for services to rural women.
"It's been a lovely life I have had with the QCWA," she said.
Over the decades, she's seen members come and go and dramatic changes to the way the QCWA operates.
"In the early days they were very interested in handicrafts, baking, sewing and knitting," Ms Hastie said.
"Originally, we were set up to help remote rural women, but that need is not there as much anymore.
"It's now getting harder to get younger woman to join and take on the higher positions, because it's not paid.
"I do try and get to the monthly meetings, but there's not much of the older ones left; there's not many from my era who are here anymore."
For QCWA centenary team member Christine King, the centenary celebrations are all about acknowledging the founding pioneers.
"Back in 1900s, it was quite a feat for those ladies to start an association with such a sound footing, that it has continued for 100 years with the same ideals and outreach across Queensland, and we are celebrating that," she said.
Ms King said the QCWA was born of a need to support rural women.
"It was a very lonely life, especially in rural Queensland when it was all dirt roads and horse and buggies," she said
"Those women needed connections and support, they had large families and were living on poor incomes.
"They would come together and share recipes about how to make food stretch further, or how to look after babies and children and even just to have another woman to talk to."
Today, the modern QCWA remains a formidable force in advocating for women and families.
"The health system in regional and rural Queensland is poor; people must travel hundreds of kilometres to get an x-ray or cancer treatment," she said.
"It is certainly not equal for all women who live in Queensland.
"We are still fighting for equality when it comes to health, transport and communications, we still have a long way to go."
Looking forward
One of the newest QCWA branches is the Yeppoon Seasiders in central Queensland, which just celebrated its second birthday.
"There was a bunch of ladies that saw a need for another branch; they were looking for social connections where they could meet with other woman," vice president Ruth Griese said.
Gone are the days of dedicated halls for QCWA meetings, due to costs and maintenance.
Now, local branches are a lot more mobile.
"We meet in lots of different areas, such as the council hub, the local community centre and the local school," Ms Griese said.
"We also meet at local parks for coffee and cake."
Ms Griese says the QCWA is just as important today as it was 100 years ago.
"We are relevant to what's needed on the ground on the day," she said.
"The needs of our group are determined by each individual and we also stay relevant by adapting to the needs of the local area."
