SA Rural Women Award’s winner Ali Paulett and finalist Emily Riggs on what drew them to country SA

Many women are forced to leave our state's regions in pursuit of opportunities. Ali Paulett and Emily Riggs were drawn to them and haven’t looked back.

For many young women in regional SA the trend is to leave the country for the big smoke of the city, often in pursuit of opportunities for work and study.

Ali Paulett and Emily Riggs are two who have gone against the grain, both moving to the bush and now at the helm of successful businesses. And they’re loving all that country life offers.

Ms Paulett, who grew up in the Adelaide Hills, moved to the Clare Valley almost 25 years ago after meeting now-husband Matt at Roseworthy College.

Although she made friends easily playing hockey and tennis – sporting clubs are the backbone of most regional towns – she found a lot of women in their late teens and early 20s leaving the region.

Ms Paulett says the migration of women away from the country comes at the detriment to their communities. Thankfully, she says, while many women are lost to the regions, there’s several like her who are drawn to them.

“Women play a vital role in regional communities. And I don’t think people understand how important these women are and what they give to the communities,” she says.

“Whether it be the school canteen or going for mayor or council positions.

Rural Women's Award winner Ali Paulett at Paulett Wines in the Clare Valley. Picture: Ben Clark

“They’re very entrepreneurial. There’s lots of businesses they’ve created to work around their kids and the family business. There’s a lot of women who are volunteering their time and giving back.”

Ms Paulett, who won this year’s SA AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and is in the running to be crowned the national winner next month, now runs Paulett Wines and the award-winning Bush DeVine restaurant with husband Matt.

She says staff retention is a big issue in regional areas and that she would like to see greater access to resources and services so young people don’t feel compelled to leave.

The Bush DeVine restaurant at Pauletts Winery in the Clare Valley. Picture: Nadinne Grace Photography

“We have three apprentices at the moment and they have to leave to go across to the Barossa, one of them goes up to Port Pirie to do their training and a lot of these kids have to go to Adelaide to get the resources that they need here,” she says.

Ms Riggs, who founded merino wool fashion brand Iris and Wool, similarly sought to meet a need in the community, starting her own business while she was still raising young children.

Her journey has seen her overcome extreme challenges including a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis aged just 10 and the premature death of her mother to breast cancer soon after.

She was living in Melbourne when she met her now-husband, Tom, more than 10 years ago and moved to Burra in the state’s Mid North “for love”.

“As I didn’t really work hands-on on the farm, I thought ‘how can I contribute to the industry?’ Tom is a wool grower, he produces merino sheep and their family has for 150 years,” Ms Riggs says.

“I suppose it’s my way of contributing to the wool industry and showcasing what it can be created into in the end, into a beautiful garment you can have for many years.

“We’re in our fifth year of business. I’ve just opened up a shop in Burra (and) we have about 40 stockists Australia-wide.”

Emily Riggs, Iris & Wool founder and creative director, at home in Burra with her children Sam and Lucy. Picture: Matt Turner.

Ms Riggs was the overall winner of the 2022 Shine Awards celebrating Australia’s rural women, a finalist in the SA Rural Women’s Awards and will be a panellist at the SA Bush Summit in Port Lincoln on Tuesday.

Both women are proof that putting down roots in regional SA can help an entire community prosper, particularly as women.

“I suppose we have many hats. We’re mums, we’re wives, we’re farmer’s wives, we’re business owners,” Ms Riggs says.

“I think we’re a vital part of regions and we help with the community, we all get involved, whether it’s with kids sports or volunteering at the school canteen or whatever, we all chip in.”

Originally published as SA Rural Women Award’s winner Ali Paulett and finalist Emily Riggs on what drew them to country SA