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Milestone for Condingup CWA

Haidee VandenbergheCountryman

Past and present Condingup residents caught up last month, as the community celebrated 50 years of its CWA branch and hosted a broader community reunion.

About 65 women from across WA and interstate returned to Condingup to reunite with their fellow former netballers, hockey players and CWA members.

Avon Wyllie and her husband George were some of the first farmers to try their luck in the Condingup area after land became available.

One of the founding members of the Condingup CWA, Mrs Wyllie said the friendly and supportive community made up for all the hard work in establishing a farm business.

"Everyone had the same ambition - to better themselves," she said. "Everyone came from somewhere else so your neighbours became your family. With the CWA we travelled miles to meet up and have a night where the men looked after the children. Back then, we did a lot of craftwork and had a marvellous choir."

Former Condingup resident Jan Fiegert was involved with the Condingup netball club, which started in 1983.

Before winding up in 1987, the club had four women's teams and two mixed children's teams.

"Most of the women had never played," she said. "But it was another thing they could do that they didn't have to go to Esperance for.

"We really made a community here."

At the reunion, Condingup CWA secretary Pat Watts was presented with the CWA Honour award.

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