Hay Landcare hosts popular Women of the Riverina Forum

By Krista Schade - March 13, 2023

Women from across the Riverina region gathered at Hay Services Club last week, for Hay Plains Landcare’s highly successful Women of the Riverina Forum.

The two-day event was organised by local Landcare powerhouses Jade Auldist and Jenny Dwyer in recognition of NSW Women’s Week, and brought together inspirational guest speakers on a variety of topics.

Above left: Forum organisers Jenny Dwyer (left) and Jade Auldist. Centre: Day one forum presenters (from left) Dimity Comb, Tanisha Shields and Joanne Diver. Right: Sheila Smith, Em Armstrong and Sandra Ireson each contributed to the highly praised two-day Women of the Riverina Forum.

All images: The Riverine Grazier / Krista Schade

On day one local sheep and beef producer Dimity Comb spoke about her role as a women working on the land, and her detailed explanations of breeding techniques was fascinating.

“Women have a key role in ag and we contribute as much as men in many ways,” she told the assembled crowd. “I feel quite lucky that I haven’t found inequity. I think it’s because in the last decade there are many more women involved in all aspects of ag. We have big roles to play in agriculture into the future.”

Joanne Diver, formerly of Hay, spoke of her admiration of resilient Australian native plants and their role in our environment and history. She commented on how native bee mothers share a nest and work together to raise young.

“That’s a common theme - mothers working together,” she said.

Rangelands officer with Riverina Local Land Services (RLLS) Tanisha Sheilds talked about finding her niche in agriculture and the work she is undertaking across the rangelands of the region.

“I am so fortunate to live 130 kilometres from Hay but still be able to carve out such a rewarding career,” she said.

Breakout activities saw participants try their hand at dipping items in acrylic paint to create a marble affect, or roll clay seedballs, which were carefully taken home, destined for local paddocks or gardens.

After lunch Kate Jenkins from RLLS shared information about the Black Falcon and the preservation project she is working on. The project offers $10,000 grants to landholders to undertake habitat protection work to help protect the vulnerable hunting bird.

Biosecurity officer Bella McGrath said the importance of biosecurity was simple. “If you have pets, like to eat food or like to travel, then biosecurity can have an impact on you.”

She enthralled the crowd with details of her achievements at such a young age.

Hannah Brien from NSW Primary Industries spoke about the various programs available to landholders under the DPI banner before participance once again broke into groups, this time to try sewing hand dyed fabric, or paint watercolour wildflowers.

The afternoon wound up with a session all about Hay Plains Landcare, with speakers Jenny Dwyer, Sally Ware, Jade Auldist and Fleur Cullenward speaking about the various achievements of this hard-working group.

That evening guests were treated to a formal dinner, with a fashion parade and styling advice, facilitated by Sarah Laracy of Two Billy Buttons. The runway models definitely kept the crowd entertained.

On day two the morning speakers included Sandra Ireson from Hay Inc, Em Armstrong from Saltbush Stretch and Sheila Smith from Miss Smith Designs.

Each spoke of their journey towards creating their own niches, the importance of taking time for oneself and how being based in Hay is made possible by technology. The Riverine Grazier will bring you more in-depth stories of these inspiring women in coming weeks.

Hay Shire Council’s Tourism and Economic Development Officer Ali McLean shared Hay’s latest tourism, agriculture and economy facts, and answered questions from the floor about opportunities and fears in regards to proposed renewable energy developments.

Half the attendees were then loaded onto a bus for journalling exercises in the idyllic location of Deb Donohoe’s riverside home. The remaining participants were put through their paces with a yoga session led by Em Armstrong.

Murrumbidgee Landcare’s Annika Brown gave an overview of the organisations work across the region before Cassie Douglas gave the final presentation of the forum.

Ms Douglas works with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust and talked about programs for landholders and how BCT has allowed her to thrive in the rural setting.

“I’ve been blessed to work in regional areas for my entire career,” she said.

A final afternoon session of seed ball rolling and guided water colour painting closed out what guests described as an “wonderful, inspiring event” which “should happen every year!”