But before she became involved in the Country Women’s Association, Jennifer Bowe worked for a firm of solicitors in Moss Vale.

Her first job was with Wilkinson, Throsby and Edwards, located in Argyle Street.

A comptometer operator- Jennifer answered the phone, learnt to operate the  Burroughs bookkeeping machine and “kept out of George Throsby’s way”.

The hours were nine to five and Jennifer travelled from Burrawang to Moss Vale and back on Barton’s bus.

“I was proud and pleased to working for the solicitors, I liked the people I worked with,” she said.

“My mum (Susan Marshall) made me ‘uniforms’ from small check mauve gingham which helped to make me feel more business-like.”

Jennifer met and worked with a variety of people – Ross Campbell-Jones, Wendy from Bundanoon, June Hall from Mittagong and Robyn Cosgrove.

“All were very helpful and supportive to the raw recruit. June was the fastest typist ever, Wendy came from a major law firm in Sydney and was both kind and very knowledgeable.”

But Jennifer admits she was “a bit terrified” of George Throsby “who was a great man but a bit of a firecracker”.

“However Owen Edwards and his wife Naida were much more gentle people and easier to work with.”

After many years with the CWA, Diane is the only one Jennifer still sees.

Both are involved in street stalls for the Moss Vale branch of CWA.