General News
1 May, 2026
CWA branches join for fashion event
Maryborough CWA’s fashion parade is one of many events throughout the year bringing the region’s branches together, in a move combatting declining member numbers.
Despite the occasional fold of smaller CWA branches across the state, events like these are one of the few remaining opportunities for members to engage with the organisation in person and connect with other members.
Last week’s event drew nearly 100 people from Harcourt, Castlemaine, Newbridge, Newstead and Avoca.
Each year, the event hosts Kay’s Classic Fashion, bringing the season’s newest outfits from Melbourne to Maryborough twice a year.
Maryborough CWA branch president Carol Gifford said the business sends a van with a range of outfits to communities in regional Victoria, touring at events with items for sale.
“Kay has been coming for quite a while, about 15 years, she gets clothes from warehouses and certain brands, it became an event for us to put on. It’s a social event … it’s good fun,” she said.
“It’s something in the year for us to do ... when you see something on someone you know, you think ‘oh, that might be nice for me’. All the fashion is changing so quickly these days.”
Maryborough members originally attended an event of the same kind in Lexton before their branch closed 14 years ago, due to a decline in membership.
The Maryborough branch’s secretary Shirley Button said since the branch has started hosting the event, it has grown over time.
“We used to do it at Lexton CWA but Lexton folded. After that, we invited Kay to Maryborough and she has been coming ever since,” she said.
“We see how it brings together other branches. Avoca have folded, but most of the ones who were members have come today.”
After the event, the Maryborough CWA are given 10 percent of the profit from clothing sales.