Women's group celebrates 90 years

Betty Goldsworthy, left, Jude Vaughan, national president and Joy Herbert. Both women have received Gold Honours from the national federation. Photo / Leanne Warr

A local branch organisation formed to give women a place where they can "be yourself" has reached a milestone of 90 years.

A number of members were there to celebrate the 90th birthday. Photo / Leanne Warr

The Tararua Federation of Women's Institutes celebrated the occasion last week with a high tea for members.

The celebration included a cake. Photo / Leanne Warr

Two members who had received Gold Honours from the national body, Betty Goldsworthy and Joy Herbert, were chosen to cut the cake.

A special guest was the national federation president Jude Vaughan who flew up from the Canterbury region.

Just elected president in May, the celebration was her first official function as president.

She was delighted to have been invited.

"It's such a special occasion," she said.

"It shows that the organisation has been a force to be reckoned with.

"These are times when people can come together and celebrate their past members as well as welcoming new ones."

While it was often thought that the WI was just for women getting together to take part in craft activities, there was far more to it.

Vaughan, who moved to New Zealand from the UK in 2009, joined the WI while she was living in the UK.

Jude Vaughan travelled up from Staveley in Canterbury and talked to the women about how she came to be involved in W.I. Photo / Leanne Warr

She related to those present a bit about her life and how she came to be a member.

"The WI has always been a part of my life," she said.

She started going when she began feeling that she was missing out and needed something to do with her hands.

"I wanted to do something for me and I wanted to know how to quilt and I wanted to know how to do patchwork."

Her mother was also a member and she decided to go to the WI in her area.

"Life throws you curveballs and it also gives you flowers and I walked into WI and I was welcomed."

She said without their welcome and their ability to mould her into the person she was now by giving her opportunities and teaching her, she wouldn't have been able to stand up in front of the women and talk to them.

Being a member gave women a place to go where they could be themselves.

Vaughan said there was a need in rural areas for women to meet up at a local hall so they had a place to go.

However, despite many women having migrated into towns, or being busy, WI was still a constant, she said.

"We don't want to hide our light under a bushel. [We want to] make sure people know."

Women could get a lot out of it by having a place they could legitimately go and be themselves, Vaughan said.

"You're not somebody's daughter, or somebody's mother, or somebody's wife."

Banners were put up around the hall showing the various clubs that were part of the Tararua federation. Photo / Leanne Warr

The Tararua federation was formed through an amalgamation of Southern Hawke's Bay and Bush Federation. Photo / Leanne Warr

The Tararua federation was originally called Southern Hawke's Bay and some years ago amalgamated with another federation.

It was decided to officially change the name in 2018.

Vaughan said the 90 years was a reflection of the loyalty and dedication of the members and how much work they'd done within the community and in the Tararua district.

She said that work was in supporting women and children.

"Just being there. Volunteering hours."

While the WI was about empowering women to be their own person, it was also about raising awareness on issues such as family violence.

Vaughan said there was an initiative where every federation in New Zealand was asked to research the number of women who had experienced family violence.

Members would produce a template with butterflies on them which was then pinned on to fabric, with different colours for those who had survived abuse and those who had died as a result of abuse.

Tararua federation president Kay Brabender. Photo / Leanne Warr

The national organisation celebrated its centenary in New Zealand in 2021.