Helidon salutes group of helpers

After 56 years Helidon RSL Women’s Auxiliary hangs up the aprons

‘‘ IT WILL BE A SOCIAL OUTING RATHER THAN A WORKING EVENT FROM NOW ON. HELIDON RSL WOMEN’S AUXILIARY MEMBER KAREN FINDLAY

IT WAS truly the end of an era when the Helidon RSL Women’s Auxiliary held their final official meeting and gathering recently.

After 56 years of the auxiliary, the 10 or so lady members decided it was time to look to new ventures.

The volunteers had raised a lot of money for the Helidon RSL and other organisations in its more than half a century of community service.

“We catered for a lot of different functions over the years,” explained Maureen Wrigglesworth, who, at 92, is one of the auxiliary’s longest serving members and longtime executive.

“We catered for weddings, engagements, 21st birthday parties ... we worked the bingo for many years.

“While the RSL ran the bingo, we ran the canteen.

“We used to hire out our crockery which raised good money.”

Anzac Day has always been a big occasion in the hamlet at the foot of the Toowoomba Range.

“Anzac Day was a great community event, a real family day,” said Rita Hogan, 90, another of the longer serving members.

“We used to do 50-odd loaves of bread for sandwiches.

“We were often called on to cater for functions.”

Like any town or city, Helidon has changed over the years but these women remain strong friends with a strong community spirit.

“The town is still growing,” Karen Findlay said.

“It’s a very different town today than the early years.

“There was a time when everybody used to know everybody but that has all changed these days.”

But these women know each other well and despite the Helidon RSL Women’s Auxiliary calling it stumps, this team will continue to regularly get together.

“We were like a glove, we all work well together,” Mrs Findlay said.

“We’ve had a lot of fun too. “We all showed up knowing what we had to do and we didn’t have any arguments because we all knew what we had to do and we all helped each other.

“Every time one of the ladies has a birthday we get together and we’ll continue to go to lunch and have coffee regularly.

“It will be a social outing rather than a working event from now on.”