A Northam woman with a long-standing family connection to the Country Women's Association has hopes of re-launching the group in her current town.
Sandy-Lee Welch was flooded with responses when she asked for expressions of interest to join a potential CWA on Facebook last week.
As a result Ms Welch held a meeting where plans for the group were formed.
"It was an excellent turn out - we had 16 women attend from their early twenties all the way through," she said.
"The meeting was to mainly say that we are only starting - we are not legitimate yet.
"There was a lot of voting - we will still have more votes on that but so far we have decided that Wednesday nights will be our meetings.
"We had five people voted into official positions."
The online Facebook post, made up of more than 150 expressions of interest, reached women in Spencers Brook, Jennacubbine and York.
Ms Welch said the women were excited to start planning events and fundraisers, but she said it was important to highlight that the group needs to be approved by the overarching CWA body before the Northam has its own group.
She said, after a long standing history, the re-establishment of a Northam CWA branch would benefit the larger community.
"CWAs are to be there as a support for the women and children," Ms Welch said.
"The women are there to facilitate and give their knowledge - you entwine all that experience.
"The CWAs do quite a bit - raising money so that we can help people.
"We have things in the community that need to be looked at, that are often looked past."
Currently there are 39 CWA branches in the Wheatbelt including Beverley, Kellerberrin and Toodyay.
The women at the meeting also discussed the advocacy role they could play on the state stage, much like the protests that took place on the steps of parliament in February 2018 in response to the closure of the Moora Residential College.
The event marked the first rally in the CWA's 94-year history.
Seven months later the state government reversed its decision, instead injecting $8.7 million in capital funding to the college for refurbishments.
Ms Welch, who has been involved in several CWAs around the state, was voted in as president of the group, with future votes and meetings to take place once approved by the peak body.
She said during her time in the organisation she had seen how strong women of the country are.
"The women of the country are so resilient," she said.
"The goal is to have younger women involved and see them come through.
"Being able to share with each other and pass our stories down the generations is an important part of the network."
Although the original Northam Country Women's Association disbanded more than 20 years ago, the group continues to have a longstanding legacy through the Northam Residential College.
Adamson House, which is now the site of the college, was established in 1938 by the CWA as accommodation for girls going to Northam High School.
It was the first CWA school hostel and was later named after its founder, Beverley resident and CWA western division president Mary Adamson.
In 1969, management of Adamson House merged with the nearby St Christopher's Hostel for boys before it became the site of the Northam Residential College in 2003.
Ms Welch said once approved by the CWA, the group would begin fundraising and regular meetings.
"It is only very small steps for us, but those steps have been made," she said.
"I know that the preparation time is long but we have the support of the CWA's community coordinator Trish Chitty here in the Wheatbelt.
"It is imperative that we follow the guidelines set out by the association."
To follow the progress of the Northam CWA contact Sandra-Lee Welch on Facebook.
What do you think of plans to reestablish a CWA in Northam? Send a letter to eliza.wynn@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
