Juggling her time between rodeos and stock work across Queensland, Emily Collits has rarely stayed in the same place for long.
The bronc riding champion in her 20s says her work droving cattle for up to two months at a time can make it difficult to build and maintain her social circle.
“We’ve got no cell service out here. It can get a little bit lonely,” she said.
“Thankfully we do work with quite a few people, but it does become difficult not being able to call mum and dad occasionally and check in with all my other friends that are scattered around the world.”
But in recent years it has become easier to stay connected along the most remote stock routes thanks to satellite internet.
Ms Collits is the type of woman QCWA state president Sheila Campbell is hoping to attract to an online branch.
QCWA’s Sheila Campbell says isolation remains a challenge for people outside the big cities. (ABC News: Peter Gunders)
Mrs Campbell believes distance should be no barrier to joining the proud organisation which was formed in 1922 and became a formidable force of women who lobbied for change, including getting seatbelts into cars.
“Isolation is a big thing. You might be a thousand kilometres away, or 27,000 kilometres away, but you’re still a part of the group,” she said.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows national rates of loneliness among people aged 55 and over have fallen over the past 20 years.
Young people, however, are increasingly reporting feeling socially isolated.
Emily Collits believes with more of an online push the QCWA could have more success attracting younger members. (Supplied: Emily Collits)
In 2021, the data found one in four women aged 18 to 24 said they “often feel very lonely”.
The institute said the impact of loneliness is cumulative and has been linked to “mental illness, emotional distress”, as well as physical effects including “high blood pressure and impaired immune function.”
Ms Collits associates the QCWA more with her grandparents and parents’ generation and says her lifestyle makes it impossible to join a regular branch.
“It does make it difficult, but if they moved to more of an online presence it might resonate a bit more for those younger group of girls,” she said.
“I know they make really good scones. [But] I haven’t really seen it [the CWA] aimed towards those younger girls in their 20s and teens.”
Emily Collits riding at the Tambo Rodeo in Central West Queensland. (Supplied: Emily Collits)
Online trailblazers
Danielle Mackay was a busy shift worker in Canberra when she first considered joining the CWA but was deterred by travelling up to an hour to attend a meeting.
After seeing a Facebook post about a new online branch she reconsidered.
Ms Mackay attended the inaugural meeting in 2019 and said they were now a group of trailblazers with 54 members joining in on the regular Zoom meetings.
“Very few of our members have ever met face to face,” she said.
“There’s quite often some excitement when two members meet face to face. We take a photo and post it on our closed Facebook group.”
Now the president of the CWA of NSW Online Branch, she said they have been able to set up everything from junior cookery competitions to powerful fundraising initiatives.
World Wide Women
Sue Linde has joined as one of the founding members of the QCWA Online Branch. (Supplied: Sue Linde)
The first online branch in Queensland has already attracted around 15 members, with one former Queenslander even joining from London.
QCWA state vice president for the central region, Tamara Stephensen, has heard from women across Queensland looking to start or revive their local branches.
“I know we’ve had some ladies from the Gulf area saying they were really keen to start branches, but they were saying ‘our closest branch is a nine hour drive,” she said.
“Even then they were having ladies who would have to travel two or three hours for a branch meeting.
“I think this online branch is a great thing for them because they can come in, join QCWA, see what it’s all about, get some momentum.”
