NEGS Students and Staff Volunteer at the CWA Armidale's Historic 100th Anniversary Celebration — Honouring a Shared Legacy at Saumarez Homestead (23 Feb 2026)

A century of service, friendship, and community spirit — and a school whose own history is woven into the very fabric of this historic estate.

ARMIDALE, NSW — Last Saturday, 21 Feb, students and staff from NEGS Armidale were proudly present at one of the Armidale region's most significant community milestones: the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Country Women's Association (CWA) Armidale branch, held at the historic Saumarez Homestead from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.

The free, family-friendly event brought together generations of community members to celebrate the CWA's enduring legacy of service, friendship, and support for the people of the New England region. For NEGS, the day held a significance that extended far beyond the occasion itself — it was a return to a place intimately connected to the school's own storied past.

A Homestead at the Heart of NEGS History

Saumarez Homestead, one of New South Wales' finest National Trust properties, has been a landmark of the Armidale district since the White family of Muswellbrook purchased it in 1874, developing it into one of the largest and most successful rural properties in the New England region. After the death of the last family member to reside there, Miss Elsie White, in 1981, the house, collection, farm buildings and grounds were donated to the National Trust of Australia (NSW) by White family descendants, preserving for future generations a time capsule largely unchanged since the Edwardian era.

What many visitors to this gracious homestead may not know is how intimately the White family's story is entangled with that of NEGS. Three of F.J. White's daughters — Mary, Doris, and Elsie — attended the recently established New England Girls' School in the early years of the 20th century, making them among the school's earliest pupils. The White sisters went on to become distinguished members of the Armidale community: Mary as a patron of the arts who donated significant works to what would become the University of New England; Doris as a nurse who gave her wages to charity; and Elsie as the devoted custodian who ensured Saumarez remained, in her words, unchanged in every detail.

Generous Benefactors Who Shaped NEGS

The White family's relationship with NEGS extended far beyond the enrolment of their daughters. They were among the school's most generous and enduring benefactors — people whose financial support, personal investment, and deep belief in the value of educating young women helped build NEGS into the institution it is today. Put simply, NEGS would look very different without the extraordinary generosity of the White family.

The White family’s philanthropy is with intention, warmth, and a genuine commitment to ensuring that girls from the New England region had access to an exceptional education. That culture of giving — of investing in the next generation — is one that NEGS continues to honour and carry forward.

It is a legacy that makes today's volunteer presence at Saumarez Homestead all the more meaningful. The students who arrived are, in many ways, the living beneficiaries of a family that believed in this school long before it became what it is today. Their presence is not merely a community gesture — it is an act of gratitude, more than a century in the making.

NEGS Students and Staff: Service in Action

On a warm late-summer morning, NEGS students and staff arrived at Saumarez Homestead ready to roll up their sleeves. Alongside members of the CWA and community volunteers, they helped welcome guests, assist with catering, coordinate activities, and ensure the day ran smoothly for the hundreds of community members who attended.

Guests were welcomed with a complimentary scone and cuppa — a hallmark of CWA hospitality — with additional refreshments available throughout the celebration. Families were encouraged to picnic on the homestead's sweeping grounds, wander its heritage farm buildings dating to 1834, and share in the joy of a milestone one hundred years in the making.

“For NEGS, today was more than a volunteer opportunity. It was a chance to stand alongside a community organisation that has served this region for a century, at a place whose walls carry the names of some of our earliest students. The White sisters attended NEGS. Their family built Saumarez. Our students came here today and gave their time in the same spirit of service those women embodied. We couldn’t be more proud.”

— NEGS Representative

A Century of the CWA in Armidale

Founded in 1926, the Armidale branch of the Country Women's Association of NSW has been a steadfast pillar of community life across a century of change. From the hardships of the Great Depression and two World Wars, through to the modern era, the CWA has provided practical support, a spirit of fellowship, and a powerful advocacy voice for women and families in regional Australia.

"For 100 years, CWA Armidale has brought people together through friendship, learning, and service," a CWA spokesperson said at the event. "This day is about honouring that history and inviting the community to celebrate with us."

The centenary event at Saumarez Homestead was a fitting choice of venue — a place where community, history, and the enduring contribution of women converge in a single address.

About NEGS — New England Girls' School

Established in Armidale in 1895, New England Girls' School (NEGS Armidale) is one of Australia's leading independent girls' boarding and day schools, set on a beautiful 50-hectare campus in the heart of the New England tablelands. For 131 years, NEGS has shaped young women of character, courage, and capability — grounded in a deep sense of service to community and connection to the land and region that surrounds them.

With its foundational R.I.T.E. (Responsibility, Integrity, Teamwork, and Excellence) Values, NEGS maintains a profound commitment to community engagement and heritage, ensuring students understand not just the world as it is, but the history and people who shaped the world they inhabit.