Shine Awards 2023: Rural women from NSW who go above and beyond

With the launch of the 2023 Shine Awards, it’s time to look back on past finalists from NSW — rural women who go above and beyond for their communities.

With the launch of the 2023 Shine Awards, it’s time to take a look back on past finalists — rural women who go above and beyond for their communities and are deserving of extra recognition.

Here are some of the top finalists from NSW over the years:

BIANCA TARRANT, BARYULGIL
Bianca founded Our Cow, a meat delivery service that helped her survive drought years on her northern NSW farm.

At the time of her nomination, the business had grown rapidly, and was supplied by more than 100 other farmers.

After starting the first iteration of the service on social media, Our Cow now employs 40 people and delivers nationwide.

Co-founder of direct-to-consumer beef producer Our Cow Bianca Tarrant. Picture: Elise Derwin

TANYA HOLMES, BATHURST
Tanya is a mother of children with cerebral palsy and an entrepreneur who founded her own cookie business after acquiring a disability herself.

The Bathurst entrepreneur has spent decades putting her children’s needs first, so when she suffered a freak spinal cord injury in 2016 that left her suddenly paralysed it turned her world upside down.

Tanya — who always had a love of baking — turned her hand to making cookies. They were so well received by locals in Bathurst that she rolled the hobby into a business: launching Imperfectly Perfect Sugar Cookies.

Tanya also uses her business to raise money for Veterans charities and has been made an affiliate member of her Bathurst RSL sub branch.

Tanya Holmes founded Imperfectly Perfect Sugar Cookies at Bathurst after suffering ruptured vertebrae that left her partially paralysed. She is also an advocate for equality in the workplace for people living with disabilities, and is a role model for rural businesswomen. Picture: Kirsten Cunningham

DONNA LAYTON, GRAFTON
After losing her property in the 2019-20 bushfires, Donna shouldered the burden of keeping the local sawmill running despite the shortage of available timber and dedicated herself to helping workers keep their jobs.

Donna Layton from Notaras Timbers in Grafton in northern NSW. Picture: Elise Derwin

GEORGIA FOSTER EYLES, NYMBOIDA

Georgia Foster Eyles and her partner, Tommy Welham, started a small organic market garden called Green Shovel Farm at Nymboida.

When the 2019-20 bushfires tore through her community, Georgia stepped up.

She became the main pivot point through which donation and recovery efforts were made, and helped an entire community pull through the most traumatic point in their history.

Nymboida bushfire recovery volunteer Georgia Foster Eyles helped residents in the aftermath of the 2019 bushfires. Picture: Toni Fuller

NEA WORRELL, BARADINE
In her role as co-ordinator of the Baradine Drought Relief pantry during terrible dry years, Nea and her team sorted, stored and distributed donations of food, toiletries and essential supplies that rolled in from far and wide.

The inspirational figure would go on to say that the groundbreaking work she and her team did to support the mental health of her small community was her proudest accomplishment, and made her a deserving Shine Awards finalist.

Nea Worrell. Picture: Dylan Robinson

These women were nominees in the Shine Awards, a partnership between The Weekly Times and Harvey Norman that celebrates Australia’s rural women. If you know a woman who makes a real differene to her rural community or industry, nominate her in the form below. Find out more about the Shine Awards here.