What was it like growing up on the property?

We were extremely fortunate to grow up on the farm. Always outdoors, we would spend hours mustering on horses or motorbikes and helping dad in the cattle yards etc. We had plenty of animals; dogs, cats, chooks, horses, sheep.

What do you see as the key differences in the way you run the business and how the generation before you did?

Our land management style is probably different now to that of say our grandfather’s era. There has been a major shift away from set stocking animals in the same paddock, but rather rotational grazing and resting pastures, a practise which Dad adopted and we have continued. We are extremely fortunate to have access to amazing technology now that improves the efficiency of what we do, with all our farm maps and records on our iPhones, easy connection to a strong network of professionals such as business advisors, agents and agronomists, and ease of communication between everyone else at work. We embrace the science of artificial insemination, embryo transfer and DNA genomic testing to enhance our genetic gains in our seedstock herd.

What challenges have you faced? And the things you most enjoy about you do?

It is challenging and rewarding trying to find ways to improve our farm and prepare it for the next drought. Lately we have been investing in fence and water infrastructure to allow us to better manage our land particularly through dry times. It is incredibly rewarding to see the land in a healthy, vibrant state whilst also generating an income for our business.

Where do you see the future of the business?

A challenge for every farming family is that of providing opportunity for the next generation. Harry and I are extremely grateful that our family tackled succession early on in the piece. It has allowed us to hit the ground running at a relatively young age, and gives us the opportunity to build our business and look ahead to how it will provide for the next generation coming through. In 10 years” time I would like to think we have greatly lifted our business turnover, but hopefully also increased our land holding.

How do you see success?

If our children are able to have an opportunity to live and work in agriculture, similar to what we have enjoyed, that to me would be success.

Where did you grow up?

My father was an engineer with BHP, so as kids we travelled around a lot with his work. I lived on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria until I was 8, before we moved to Yellowknife in the North-West Territories in arctic Canada.  After two years there, we moved back to Queensland and today my parents live not far from here, near Denman in the Hunter Valley. My mother is from Bourke originally, and we still have lots of close family out west, so growing up we spent a lot of time on cousins properties at Bourke and Walgett.

Working remotely has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for many rural women. What has it meant for you?

The opportunity to work remotely has been wonderful and allowed me to both complete my postgraduate law degree and continue my career in communications, something which didn’t seem possible when I first left my corporate affairs job in Sydney and followed Jack to Mudgee.

I started with Cox Inall in 2017. Back then, convincing a new employer to take you on as a fully remote team member wasn’t really the done thing, but I was lucky Cox Inall had a well established model of employing regionally based staff, with a team based right around Australia from Emerald in Central Queensland out to the wheat-belt in WA.

Obviously, today a silver-lining of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a rise in the flexibility of workplaces and an increasing number of people working remotely, which I think is something that has and will only continue to boost the vibrancy and dynamism of regional towns.

I think it has also changed the way people work, in the sense that there is an increased willingness to use the technology available to keep the show on the road.  Before the pandemic, I would regularly travel to client meetings in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, often at short notice. I loved this aspect of the job, but now with a young family the prospect of jumping on a plane with less than 12 hours” notice seems nearly impossible. Fortunately, COVID has meant the expectation around “being in the room” at client meetings has changed and the need to travel has reduced greatly.

What is a typical day like for you?

They’re a bit chaotic at the moment! With a 16-month-old son and another baby coming in January, I’m either up early trying to squeeze in some exercise before Sid wakes up or getting organised for a daycare and work day. I work three days a week at the moment — dropping Sid to daycare and going into a shared workspace in Mudgee. On non-work days, Sid and I spend as much time out of the house as we can — either doing things in the garden, driving around in the buggy and going to work with Dad, or playing with the dogs and Sid’s pony, Betty.

What do you see as the benefits of regional life?

The sense of community in regional towns is something that took me a little while to recognise, but now I think is one of the best parts of living in a small town. Geography is no longer necessarily a career handbrake, and regional towns are thriving as a result.  Also, space! Something which I definitely took for granted before Sid and the pandemic came along (at about the same time!)