In Australia, the Country Women’s Association was first formed in New South Wales and Queensland in 1922. Subsequently each State and the Northern Territory formed an Association, a process which took a period of 14 years.
In 1943, a meeting in Sydney of the State Associations discussed forming a Federal body, but it was not until 1945, at a further meeting that it was agreed to form The Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA). Recognition was swift and Mrs Marfell, the first President, was invited by the Federal Government to join a select committee to consider various aspects of the Nationality Bill then before the House. This committee gave consideration to anomalies, which arise over the nationality of women who marry foreigners.
The first Annual Conference of CWAA was held in Adelaide in 1946. At the next Conference in Sydney, delegates were appointed to go to the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) Conference in Amsterdam. It was then decided to meet bi-annually, to operate a fare pool and to hold a CWA Day of Prayer. Various changes of constitution have been made over the years to make the National Association more effective while preserving the autonomy of the Member Associations.
In 1985, Miss Dorothy Ross of NSW was the first member elected to the office as National President. Until then the states had taken it in turns to provide a President. The National President is now elected to the office for a three year term with the States and Territory still taking it in turns to host the National Conference.
A complete list of National Presidents appears below:
| 1945-1946 | Mrs HD Marfell OBE JP SM | Victoria (d) |
| 1946-1947 | Mrs E Withers | South Australia (d) |
| 1947-1948 | Mrs L MacSmith | New South Wales (d) |
| 1948-1949 | Mrs G Dempster | Western Australia (d) |
| 1949-1950 | Mrs J Cooper | Tasmania (d) |
| 1950-1951 | Mrs H Sterne | Queensland (d) |
| 1951-1953 | Mrs JP Spittle | Victoria (d) |
| 1953-1955 | Mrs RWR Hunt | South Australia (d) |
| 1955-1957 | Mrs WH Cullen OBE | New South Wales (d) |
| 1957-1959 | Mrs JH Spencer | Western Australia (d) |
| 1959-1961 | Mrs E Crisp | Tasmania (d) |
| 1061-1963 | Dame Alice Berry DBE | Queensland (d) |
| 1963-1965 | Mrs NE Cameron OBE | Victoria (d) |
| 1965-1967 | Mrs HM Hallion | South Australia |
| 1967-1969 | Mrs WW Sharrock MBE OAM | New South Wales (d) |
| 1969-1971 | Dame Raigh Roe DBE CBE | Western Australia (d) |
| 1971-1973 | Mrs F Miles AM | Tasmania (d) |
| 1973-1975 | Mrs RW Voller AM | Queensland (d) |
| 1975-1977 | Mrs (HR) Valerie Fisher AO OBE | Victoria (d) |
| 1977-1979 | Mrs RE Cooper OBE | South Australia |
| 1979-1981 | Mrs FW Hill OBE | New South Wales (d) |
| 1981-1983 | Mrs IF Hooper AM | Western Australia |
| 1983-1985 | Mrs V Norris AM | Tasmania (d) |
| 1985-1988 | Miss Dorothy Ross AM OBE | New South Wales (d) |
| 1988-1991 | Mrs Jean Tom AO | Victoria |
| 1991-1994 | Mrs Ailsa G Bond AM | Tasmania |
| 1994-1997 | Mrs Sylvia Laxton OAM | Queensland |
| 1997-2000 | Mrs Margaret Smith AO | New South Wales |
| 2000-2003 | Mrs Marie Lally AM | South Australia |
| 2003-2006 | Mrs Myra Pincott AO | Queensland |
| 2006-2009 | Mrs Lesley Young AO | Tasmania |
| 2009-2012 | Mrs Heather Wieland | Queensland |
| 2012- 2015
2015 - |
Mrs Noela H MacLeod
Ms Dorothy Coombe |
Victoria
Victoria |