Behind the scones and smiling faces is a group of women who have continuously banded together and have a proven track record of bringing essential services to remote areas.

Local CWA branches are celebrating the centenary by gathering in Nundle in honour of Miss Biddy Payne, a past secretary and foundation member of Nundle CWA, who was the organisation's first international officer in NSW.

The gathering will be held in the garden at Miss Payne's former home, Wombramurra Station near Nundle.

Nundle CWA president Margaret Schofield said it will be a fabulous occasion and bring together more than 100 local CWA members.

"We hope that people will dress up. We have some old vintage cars that some of the dignitaries are going to arrive in, and it's just going to be purely for the CWA," she said.

The CWA's beginnings also have local roots. Grace Munro, of Bingara, was the CWA of NSW's first ever president.

It all started at the Bushwomen's Conference held in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural Show in Sydney in April 1922.

The conference was initiated by Dr Richard Arthur, MP for North Sydney, and Miss Florence Gordon, who ran the Home Page of the Stock and Station Journal.

Mr Arthur had been calling for the need to improve conditions for rural women and Miss Gordon had published a plan for a 'Country Women's Union of Help' in 1921, partly inspired by the Women's Institutes in Canada and Britain.

At the conference, on April 20, 1922, an organising committee was formed, including Miss Gordon and Miss Munro, who was to become the CWA of NSW's foundation president.

Over the year's fighting isolation and a lack of health facilities, funding more bush nurses, building and staffing for the likes of maternity wards, hospitals, schools, rest homes, and holiday getaways for rural and remote families have been just a few of the CWA's main focusses.

In the 100 years the CWA has been in existence, members have helped bring about some major changes across the state.

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From the earliest days of the association, members were tireless in their efforts to establish more hospitals, maternity wards and baby health centres in country areas. The association went onto play an important advocacy role in the introduction of compulsory seat belts, white lines on the edge of roads and flashing speed signs in school zones.

Today, the association is still going strong.

Tamworth Evening CWA branch was formed just seven years ago, and president Sue-Ellen Hogan said it's membership is growing.

She said the same reasons women gravitated toward the group 100 years ago are what's driving them there today.

"The reason the organisation came together in the first place was to support women who are on the land working with their families and husbands who were quite isolated," she said.

"Forming the CWA brought them all together to have that connection both in person and across the state. Over the past 100 years the CWA has continued to do that.

"We do work within our communities and focus on issues that are going on nationally and across the state.

"But it remains about friendship and that important connection bringing women together in their areas as well."

Climate change, sustainability and the environment has become a big focus point for the group, Ms Hogan said. Members have established twice monthly sustainability challenges, promoted on their Facebook page, and invite the community to join in.

"It's a big focus for us and it's a big focus for our regional and rural communities," she said.

Another focus for the local branches is attending the CWA's annual state conference at Royal Randwick in Sydney, from May 2 to 5.

CWA of NSW president Stephanie Stanhope said 100 years the members of the CWA of NSW have continued the legacy of those trail-blazing foundation members by improving the social, educational, recreational and medical realities for their communities

"This year is such an exciting one for all of us and we're so proud that the association formed all those decades ago has grown to be the largest women's organisation in Australia and continues to positively contribute to rural and regional communities in so many different ways," she said.

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