I assist the finance team in the day-to-day running of business accounts and general administrative tasks, committing to good processes and sustainable business practices, so we can continue to reach and support our rural, regional and remote communities.  

I also provide support and assistance where asked to meet project development deadlines and enable the smooth functioning of the company. This is achieved through timely and accurate administrative systems and processes and by expediting financial flows to minimise delay or disruption to project initiatives.

When I’m not at work, I keep active with daily exercise, bushwalking, spending time on the family farm, and gardening. Otherwise, I’m probably enjoying our backyard with my husband and two kids. 

Where does your passion for rural, regional and remote Australia come from?

As the daughter of a dairy farmer growing up on the family farm in Maroon, South East Queensland, there were a few certainties in my life. The cows would be milked twice a day every day, and no matter what was going on at the time, everyone had to stop what they were doing and listen to the weatherman on the nightly news.

• “When is it going to rain?”
• “Have we got time to get that last patch of lucerne mowed and baled before a storm potentially rolls in at the end of the week?”

Walks down the main street of Boonah with Mum, and only very occasionally, Dad meant lots of stopping to talk to others about the weather and if it was going to be kind or another tough season ahead. I grew up in a farming community, and whilst my location has changed, and I now enjoy “city” living, I love that I can still contribute in some small way to a prosperous rural, regional and remote Australia!

What’s your favourite memory or most memorable moment in rural, regional and remote Australia?

One of my favourite memories of remote Australia is pretty special. It was a road trip my husband and I undertook during our move from Canberra to Darwin back in 2013. He was fresh out of military college, and I was approximately 16 weeks pregnant with our first child. We took our time, doing short driving days and spending the afternoons looking around the various small townships we stayed in along the way. One of those nights was spent underground in Coober Pedy. The highlight of the trip was the time we spent exploring Uluru and The Olgas. The red earth is hard to forget – such a striking landscape that had me thinking about how we are all a part of something so much “bigger”.

What’s your professional background?

After initially starting out in administration in the interesting world of commercial investigation, I was fortunate to be able to make a move to combine my love of the outdoors with my work. I thoroughly enjoyed a few years of getting my hands dirty working in the horticulture industry at Dockside in Brisbane.

After my husband joined the army and we started moving around to various postings, I worked in office environments doing administration work. I supported defence maintenance and human services before finding myself in bookkeeping. In 2018, another defence move meant more time in Canberra, where a bookkeeping position at the ARLF beckoned – I have now stayed in this role despite a move back “home” to Brisbane. 

Three things you love about working at the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation?

Three things I love about working for the ARLF are the people, the opportunities and the connection.