RINALDI, Kathleen Ada

Kathleen Ada Netherway was born on the 7th of January 1913 in a small two-roomed cottage with a galvanised iron roof and walls at Curyo, Buloke Shire, Victoria - Australia to young English migrants, Henry and Winifred Netherway.

At the age of 3, an accident robbed Kathleen of the sight out of one of her eyes, but this was never something she complained of - in fact, many family members were not aware of this.  After an early career in primary teaching, at the age of 22 in 1935 she married wheat farmer Herbert Charles Rinaldi at St Joseph's Catholic Church, Woomelang. For 33 years she was his loving and devoted wife and together they raised 7 children. Margaret, Patricia, Irene, Bill, Kevin, Judy and James.

During the early 1940s, the family moved to a farm in the Hopevale area. In 1946, Kathleen and Herbert decided to leave the Mallee, and bought a small farm at Warrenheip, on the outskirts of Ballarat. In 1960 the 'Mount View' Riding School was established.  

Through Herbert's long illness, she kept him at home, to be nursed by the family.  Not wanting him to know that he was leaving home, she kept him at home until the day he died.

After Herbert's untimely death in 1968, she needed a new outlet for her creative energies.  She had been a founding member of the CWA Warrenheip branch in 1954, but now she took on a much more active role in the organisation.  During her time with the CWA, she worked tirelessly and travelled widely to places as varied as Vancouver, Fiji, New Zealand, Hamburg and Nairobi.  She served as Victorian State President from 1981 - 1983, and National Treasurer 1988 - 1991.  She represented the CWA on bodies as diverse as the Good Neighbour Council, the Status of Women Committee, Fairlea Women's Prison Council, the Australian Red Cross, the United Nations, Australian Freedom from Hunger, Keep Australia Beautiful, and the Development Victoria Council.  She was also a qualified CWA judge for handcrafts, home industries and cake decorating.  In recognition of her outstanding service to the Association, in 1985 the CWA elected Kathleen as a "Member of Honour", the highest distinction the association may bestow on a member.  

Her involvement in the local community extended beyond her commitments to the CWA - she served as President of various school Mothers' Clubs and Halls Committees, the Ballarat Citizen's Advice Bureau and Lifeline.  In 1982 the Shire of Buninyong chose Kathleen as a recipient of its first medallion in recognition of outstanding service to the community.  In 1994, the Year of the Family, Kathleen's family was one of nine families chosen by the State Library of Victoria to participate in a project to depict and record family life in Victoria in the 1990s.  The result of this project is held in the State Library and also forms part of a time capsule to be opened in 100 years' time.

Kathleen with the assistance of her family continued to run the riding School after the death of Herbert.

Upon the passing of Kathleen, the riding school continued on being run by Kathleen and Herbert's son Bill and his wife Marie.
Kathleen died peacefully on the 8th May 2006 at St John of God Hospital Ballarat aged 93 years.
Kathleen and Herbert are buried together at the Ballarat New Cemetery Lawn F Row 13 Grave 42.