Country Women’s Association scone success at Melbourne Royal Show
The CWA has featured at the Melbourne Royal Show and fed its hungry hordes for more than seven decades. Meet today’s members carrying on the legacy.
Long before Melburnians queued up for single-origin coffee or the latest Silicon Valley smartphone, there was the CWA scone.
The Country Women’s Association cafeteria has been pumping out wheat-and-sweet treats to the hungry hordes at the Melbourne Showgrounds for more than seven decades.
More than 500 CWA members either travel to Ascot Vale for one or two days to help out, or some stay the entire duration for what is arguably Australia’s best known bakeathon.
CWA state vice president Joanne Alderman said while the association was far more than its scone stereotype, the Devonshire tea fundraiser helped to fuel interest from the wider public.
“For many people that queue for their first scone, it’s their first encounter with the CWA or rural life in general,” Mrs Alderman said.
“It’s a multi-generational tradition for many families. They remember going as children, or taking their children, then their grandchildren, for morning or afternoon tea.”
The conscientious caterers work with huge volumes: roughly 4800kg of flour, 1600 litres of cream and 1600 litres of milk go into feeding the endless queues of Devonshire tea takers.
“All the funds raised from the sale of food and showbags go towards supporting vulnerable women, children and families right throughout Victoria,” Mrs Alderman said.
“It’s not just scones. We also sell sustainable showbags with handmade gifts inside, they’re popular too.”
Both Devon and Cornwall lay claim to masterminding the scone-jam-cream trio tradition but it differs depending on the British county.
Cornish tea takers have their jam spread first, then a dollop of clotted cream, while counterintuitively, they spread their cream on the scone before garnishing it with jam in Devonshire.
“It’s always jam first, then the cream on top,” Mrs Alderman said. “That’s the CWA way.”
Severe storm warning: Large hailstones, heavy rainfall expected
A severe storm warning for the Riverina has been issued while crops have been pummelled and wiped out by hail. See the latest.
‘Something needs to be done’: Safety concerns after silos collapse
Two silos have collapsed with a third at risk of falling at a factory flanking the Shoalhaven River. The cause of the calamity remains unknown, but the local member has said “something needs to be done”.