Celebrating the Western Downs’ most inspiring women this Rural Women’s Day

We put the call out for the Western Downs’ most inspiring rural women and received dozens of replies. Hear the story of four women contributing to their rural communities.

In celebration of Tuesday’s Rural Women’s Day we put the call out for regional women in the Western Downs who contribute most to their communities and you answered.

Meet the Western Downs women contributing to local business, industry and community.

Deanna Major (The Gums)

Based out of The Gums, business owner, farmer and mum to six children Deanna Major loves living rurally.

“The community itself and the people is what I love,” she said.

“I wouldn’t be living in town with six children, it is definitely a nice lifestyle living rurally and there is a lot of freedom living on the land.”

Deanna Major

Ms Major runs a rural-based clothing brand made by farmers, for farmers.

“We run a clothing brand called Major Outback that has been going for three years, as wheat and cattle farmers we wanted to showcase farming through our brand and that’s where the idea came from,” she said.

“We run that from home, we do online sales and we also do events including local ones in Chinchilla and travel as far as Tamworth Country Music Festival.”

Alongside running a business Ms Major finds time to help out her husband on their cattle and cropping farm while juggling six kids under the age of 13.

“We are on a family farm that my husband’s parents own, we live here and run cattle and cropping, mostly wheat,” she said.

When asked how she juggles all of her responsibilities while rearing six kids she laughed.

“It’s organised chaos, our eldest is 12, so there is currently four at school and two at home, we have five sons and one daughter.”

Lizzie Harvey (Dalby)

A born and bred Dalby local Lizzie Harvey runs Helping Hands, a charity which clothes, feeds and supports a dozen families a week.

A year ago former Helping Hands manger Carmen Evans approached Ms Harvey to take over the reigns and without hesitation she quit her full time job to take on the roll and grow the charity.

“I just like helping the community where I can,” she said.

“My job entails a lot of charity work helping the community to find any resources I can find to help them. We see about 10 families or more a week and provide food, clothing household goods, sanitary and hygiene products, toys and pet food.”

Lizzie Harvey. Picture: Sam Turner

Ms Harvey said she loved living regionally and seeing the area grow over the years.

“Outside of work I live on a farm where we run cattle and do a bit outside of town as well,” she said.

“I’ve lived in Dalby all my life. I love the community, I can see the difference in the years I’ve been here in how Dalby has evolved.”

Sarah Heathwood (Bell)

Having held positions on a dozen committees across the Western Downs, all while running her own business and being a mother to three children, Sarah Heathwood likes to stay busy.

Living on a 100 acre farming property just outside of Bell, Ms Heathwood operates a welding, sandblasting and painting business alongside her husband and has previously worked on a dairy farm and raised free range pigs.

Ms Heathwood has held many positions including fundraising for kindergartens, the secretary of the Timbertown Festival, the treasurer for a swim club, sitting on the Bell Show committee, providing NDIS care for the region’s elderly, and most recently acting as a member of the Dalby Chamber of Commerce and more.

Sarah Heathwood

Ms Heathwood said she loved the freedom of country living.

“My grandfather was a cattle buyer and he inspired me to get involved in the industry, I showed cattle for years and I’ve taught my kids,” she said.

“We have horses and I love the freedom of rural living, being out on the land and getting back in touch with nature.

“I lived in the city and I couldn't do it, there is something about wide open space, you can watch the kangaroos hop past, watch the cows feed and listen to the birds.

“I have an acre of gardens and I love gardening, I’ve always been a farm kid.

“I've got a few friends who have properties and I just love the community, the people are all great.”

Kylie Tuckerman (Moola)

After meeting her husband in 2011, Kylie Tuckerman made the big decision to leave her corporate job in Brisbane and make the move out to the Western Downs and 13 years on, she hasn't looked back.

Ms Tuckerman runs Wandilla Equine Services, a business dedicated to improving the quality of life and health for horses through education, barefoot trimming and production of quality supplements and hay.

Kylie Tuckerman

Living on a hay, grain and beef farm in Moola Ms Tuckerman has a passion for horse health, creating menu plans for horses, treating hoof problems and specialising in horse diseases.

“Back in 2011 I met my husband in Brisbane and I was a city girl and he owned a farm out here at Moola and I transitioned out of corporate work into horses,” she said.

“I had a sick horse at the time and I couldn’t get any help so I made it my mission to educate myself, go back to college and train as a hoof care provider and in disease management.

“It was a massive adjustment. I worked in Brisbane and coming out here it felt 100 miles west of woop woop, it was a change in terms of the resources that were available and the hardest part was the isolation because I didn’t know a lot of people.

“Now I’d never go back, it is paradise.

“I love the community spirit, I love the people around me, the wide open spaces and I love the Western Downs, it is such a beautiful place.”

Originally published as Celebrating the Western Downs’ most inspiring women this Rural Women’s Day