Rural Women’s Award 2022: Stephanie Trethewey wins national title, Kimberley Furness runner-up
A Tasmanian woman who has founded a new support network for rural mums has claimed top honour at a gala event in Canberra.
A former TV journalist who has created a national online network for rural mothers, to give every new mum in Australia access to a mothers’ group regardless of their location, has been named winner of the 2022 Rural Women’s Award.
Founder of not-for-profit organisation Motherland, Tasmania’s Stephanie Trethewey received the honour at a gala ceremony in Canberra on Tuesday night.
Victoria’s Kimberley Furness, founder of OAK magazine, was named runner-up.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt presented the awards in front of an audience of 500 people at Parliament House.
“What I was blown away with by all of the nominees was the incredible initiative; the decision that people individually made to get involved and change something,” Senator Watt said.
“That is just such a motivating and inspiring thing for all of us to see. And I have certainly taken inspiration from each and every one of your stories.”
Stephanie said it was an emotional moment when Senator Watt called out her name as winner.
“Three years ago I just didn’t think I had a place in rural Australia. I just didn’t feel like I belonged in any way. So three years on to be the rural woman of the year is just so surreal,” she said.
She said the honour and $20,000 grant that is part of the award would be a gamechanger for the Motherland network, enabling it to establish more direct partnerships with rural hospitals to ensure all mothers had access to a support network of their peers.
“This is going to be the rocket fuel that we need to achieve our mission, which is to ensure no rural mum is left behind, that rural mums around the country have access to a mothers’ group, a community,” she said.
“The funding is incredible. We want to be a profitable not-for-profit. The $20,000 for being the national winner in addition to the state bursary is just incredible, and so is the exposure.
“The more rural mums that know about Motherland the better, because we are going to impact more lives that way.”
Originally a city girl, Stephanie moved to northwest Tasmania in 2019 with her husband, Sam, to start a beef farming operation.
When she had her first child in 2020, she was deeply affected by the isolation of rural life and also struggled with post natal depression.
To overcome the crippling sense of aloneness, she started a podcast to build connections with other rural mums facing the same challenges. Stephanie has grown her idea into an ambitious plan to create a nationwide support network that works directly with healthcare professionals and maternity services in all rural communities.
Bendigo’s Kimberley Furness said she was thrilled to be named runner-up, but was “absolutely not” expecting it.
“You always hope what you do is good enough,” she said. “To hear your name called out, it’s incredible.
“I had a little bit of validation the first time around, in the state finals, this is just beyond.
“It makes all the long hours and deadlines worth it. I’m always worried about the financial pressure I put on my family to follow my dream, and publish a print magazine.
“The thing is we need something tangible like that. For me it is validation that OAK, as a media platform, it does have impact.”
Kimberly founded OAK in 2017 to celebrate and showcase female changemakers outside metropolitan areas and increase the representation of regional and rural women in mainstream media.
In 2022, Kimberley launched her first podcast, Take Me Somewhere, all recorded in a mobile studio in a remodelled van where she also produces an audio-described version of the magazine for those with visual impairments.
She said the $15,000 runner-up grant would allow her to reach more rural communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and tell stories of women in remote locations doing work in industries such as mining and agriculture.
FINALISTS
The other state finalists in the running included an agronomist who is a fierce advocate for people living with disabilities, a fitness guru boosting health in the bush and a beef farmer tackling food insecurity for Indigenous Australians.
The finalists were Kimberley Furness from Victoria, Rebecca Bradshaw from Queensland, Kylie Jones from the Northern Territory, Robyn Verrall from South Australia, Josie Clarke from NSW, Louise O’Neill from Western Australia and Stephanie Trethewey from Tasmania.
Established more than two decades ago, the awards program run by AgriFutures, with support from Westpac Agribusiness, celebrates female leaders in rural and regional industries, businesses and communities.
AgriFutures general manager John Harvey said the national announcement was an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of inspirational women, as well as shine a spotlight on role models for the next generation of rural leaders.
“The event will be a celebration of their hard work and commitment, and we are looking forward to showcasing their achievements to 500 guests at Parliament House,” he said.
State and territory finalists were chosen by a judging panel of alumni, industry leaders and government bodies.
Each finalist receives a $15,000 grant to use towards a project, business or program, with the national winner receiving a further $20,000 and a runner-up receiving $15,000.
These are the finalists.
JOSIE CLARKE, BELLIMBOPINNI, NSW-ACT
Josie is an agronomist, research assistant, PhD candidate and founder of Ability Agriculture – an online community with more than 2000 members from Australia and abroad that raises awareness and opportunities for people with disabilities in the agricultural sector.
Ability Agriculture is a labour of love; Josie’s response to the devastating truck accident that left her father a paraplegic and took him off the farm and into a desk job. Confronted with the reality of life on the land for people with a disability, Josie wanted more for her people like her dad. She set about giving them a voice.
REBECCA BRADSHAW, JACKSON, QLD
Living on a beef cattle property near Queensland’s Jackson with her husband, Clancy, and their two young sons, child health nurse Rebecca knows just how isolating raising a family in the bush can be. Rebecca is so passionate about access to health services, no matter the postcode, she launched an online telehealth platform called Rural Child Health at the beginning of last year to give rural and remote parents the support and education they need to raise their families.
LOUISE O’NEILL, DENMARK, WA
Mum of two and university-qualified sports therapist Louise O’Neill has founded Farm Life Fitness – an online community that’s transforming the physical and mental health of people in rural Australia. Farm Life Fitness runs 30-minute live, online group fitness classes, offering a quick, safe, and effective way for people of all fitness levels to exercise – from the comfort of their own home.
KYLIE JONES, MOUNT RIDDOCK, NT
Former Tasmanian cricketer and outback schoolteacher Kylie is a passionate advocate for remote learning and a champion for the parents and governesses who take on the role of educating the next generation. Drawing on her years of experience in primary education, Kylie two years ago launched RAISEducation – a not-for-profit organisation with the goal of building a community that supports remote educators to feel connected, empowered and confident about the lessons they deliver.
STEPHANIE TRETHEWEY, DUNORLAN, TAS
Stephanie established the Motherland podcast after moving from Melbourne to a small farming community in Tasmania’s northwest, which saw her confront first-hand the isolation that rural mums can feel. Sharing authentic stories of mums on the land, and in 2021 establishing an online Mothers group, Motherland struck a nerve with women for its raw, unfiltered representation of motherhood.
ROBYN VERRALL, KEITH, SA
The Keith-based beef and lamb producer is helping tackle food insecurity for Indigenous communities in Central Australia, working in partnership with Kere to Country to provide mentoring and logistics support to the group’s CEO, Jessica Wishart. The First Nations-led organisation provides affordable meat packages to remote Indigenous communities in Central Australia, where locals spend up to 80 per cent of their income on inflated food prices and some are going without food altogether. Robyn will use part of her Rural Women’s Award grant on a custom-made mobile cool room, which will enable weekly meat distribution to the communities.
KIMBERLEY FURNESS, BENDIGO, VIC
Kimberly is the founder and editor of OAK Magazine, a quarterly print publication which celebrates female changemakers in rural and regional areas. Kimberley’s drive to see more regional and rural women represented in print media remains her greatest career ambition, with the businesswoman now employing writers, photographers and designers from across Australia who help bring each issue of OAK to life.
The winner will be announced tonight at an event in Canberra.
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