Shine Awards 2021: Grain grower Kate Gunn nominated

This rural leader from northeast NSW sinks her passion for ag into her family’s cattle and crops operation.

Kate Gunn is a nominee in The Weekly Times Shine Awards. Nominate a rural woman who deserves recognition in the form below.

Agriculture has always been a calling for Kate Gunn, who loves the challenge and diversity of helping her family run 10,500ha near Gunnedah, NSW.

Kate Gunn with her daughter Zoe. Picture: Paul Mathews

Alongside her parents and brother, Ms Gunn runs a cropping and cattle operation, where she has worked hard to put her own skill set to use. “I don’t have a particular goal for my role in agriculture, other than to be in it,” said Kate, who completed a Bachelor of Science and Commerce and Master of Economics degrees before deciding to return to the family farm.

“The attractiveness of agriculture has always been the diversity of skills needed,” she said.

“Sometimes that can be a double-edged sword as you are a jack of all trades and master of none.”

She has applied her have-a-go attitude to local community work as well, with stints on economic development working groups around Gunnedah, as well as playing a role in action groups, which lobbied to have coal mining exploration licenses overturned in the region.

She admires the way those battles against large scale coal mining were waged in a “slow burn” where she joined the opponents in a professional front to turn exploration decisions around not just once, but twice.

On the farming front, Kate is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program while at industry level she is on the northern region panel for GrainGrowers national policy group.

“I wasn’t totally familiar with what GrainGrowers did, but I was happy to be part of this when nominated,” she said. “I think it shows that there is no one way you have to contribute to a community or agriculture, but you need to be open minded.

“There are different opportunities out there, but it is also important not to overcommit.”

A fifth-generation farmer with her own young daughter now growing up on a farm, Kate said she would let the sixth generation decide her own career path, but hoped she would “always have an affinity and love of rural life”.

Kate Gunn is a nominee in The Weekly Times Shine Awards. Use the form below to nominate a rural woman who deserves recognition.

ABOUT THE SHINE AWARDS

The Shine Awards is a campaign by The Weekly Times, supported by Harvey Norman, celebrating the passion, dedication, spirit, belief, grace and courage of women across rural and regional Australia.

Over 14 weeks, The Weekly Times highlights women on farms and off them, in rural towns, community groups, sporting clubs, businesses and schools. Their stories appear in The Weekly Times, at theweeklytimes.com.au and in our magazines.

From stories that have appeared throughout the year, finalists will be chosen in six categories: Passion, Belief, Grace, Spirit, Dedication and Courage.

On November 24, six winners will be announced.

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Shine, we will also present a special Youth award this year, to a short-listed nominee who is under the age of 30 and shows great potential to become a leader in her rural community or industry.

Each category winner will be awarded a $2500 voucher from Harvey Norman. One of the 18 finalists will also be named the overall Shine winner and receive a further $5000.

OUR BRIGHT SHINE NOMINEES

Launched in 2017, Shine celebrates women who make a real difference to our nation.

The winners and finalists over the past five years have all achieved great things individually while also inspiring others.

Last year nearly 300 women were nominated for the Shine Awards, and readers are on track to break that record this year with nearly 150 nominations submitted to date.

Some of this year’s amazing nominees include:

TAMARA COAKLEY, KYNETON

This Kyneton horse trainer lost nearly everything in a horror car crash, but was determined her ability to ride would not be one of them.

SARAH WALKERDEN, BERRINGA

A dedicated writer and digital expert, Sarah is determined to elevate the profile of rural female entrepreneurs by publishing a book that shares 16 inspiring stories.

RITA CANNING, MYAMYN

Rita Canning’s daughter inherited her love of cattle, and was on track for a bright future in livestock when tragedy struck. No stranger to heartache, Rita knew how to pull Ruby through.

JENNIFER NESTOR, COOLAMON

A talented master cheesemaker, Jennifer is transforming a local Riverina business into a globally recognised name in artisan cheese.

FRANCES FRAHN, HOLOWILIENA STATION

When drought gripped her Flinders Ranges station, and forced her family to part with their beloved Merinos, Frances Frahn found another way to keep Holowiliena going.