It’s a great privilege to be meeting Your Excellency the Governor General, and other special honoured guests in a place – the National Museum of Australia – which reveals the stories of ordinary and extra-ordinary Australians, and embodies the spirit and diversity of Australia and its people.

What better place could we be to celebrate World Rural Womens Day, a day which reminds us to shine light on the untold stories of women that have built and nurtured our communities, our families, our industries, the very women that are the foundation of the incredible diversity of Australian agriculture in 2010. 

Today we see the changing faces of farming . The Australian community is still largely exposed to the stereotypical farmer or farmers wife, but many changes have occurred and there is lot to look forward to.

Women account for 53% of all enrolments in natural and physical sciences, and 48% of all enrolments in Agriculture, environment and related studies.

These are critical statistics, because in the coming decades there will be a greater need for Australian farmers to connect and lead across the food chain to reassure the Australian community... not only of the integrity of food production in this country, but also that agriculture is a legitimate use of Australia’s natural resources.

Those undergraduates will play a key role.  

Also here today are 5 amazing women who’s lives and achievements attest to this same fact:

Alana Johnson (Runner up 2010) – is linking philanthropy and agriculture by establishing the Australian Agriculture Future Foundation, and is working in India to organise the 5th World Congress for Rural Women.

Roma Britnell (2009)- entered farming 10 years ago and now has a 900 cow dairy enterprise, and also manages an Aboriginal Health service, whilst chairing the Western Victoria R&D program.

Ros Smerdon (2008)– from the horticulture industry, is passionate about helping every Australian to become an avocado connoisseur, whether eating it fresh, using the oil or moisturing their skin.

Deb Bain (2007) –Canadian born, pharmacist by profession, is a lamb and wool producer who initiated the very successful FARM DAY initiative, bridging the rural-urban divide.

Martha Shepherd (2006) – hailing from the US, Martha chairs the peak body that is working to commercialise native foods in Australia, and she is an innovator, a product developer and native fruit grower.

These extraordinary women are the tip of the iceberg of RIRDC’s Rural Women’s Award alumni and are a great resource to Australian Agriculture. We represent one tiny part of the talent and passion that has emerged and will continue to grow across rural Australia.

The Rural Women’s Award is 11 years old, and is an amazing process. It is really hard to define exactly how it works. I describe it as ‘fairy dust’ that gets sprinkled on you, it’s a ‘permission giving’ cloak that you throw around you, and you’re then given this amazing opportunity to provide inspiration to a greater audience. It empowers women to come forward and to give their passion a name, a project and a future. I have personally learnt the depth of the words from Nelson Mandela’s inauguration speech when he said, “It is our light not our darkness that frightens us… As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence liberates others”. The award has done just that for me, and in liberating me from my fear, I have gained absolute clarity about the difference I want to make for Rural Australia and agriculture and the pathways to get there. Today all of our rural women are keen to share their vision and passion with you and we look forward to learning about yours.

Your Excellency, we know that you hail from county Queensland, and that you have been not only a wonderful advocate for Rural Australia, but you are a shining light for all women who aspire to inspire, for women who want to make a difference. Thankyou.

NFF, the National Farmers Federation, is the national voice for Australia’s agricultural industry, the political voice that takes on issues like trade, climate change, sustainability and R&D Funding to ensure our industries can thrive. Australian Agricultural industries are worth $137 billion to the economy and are predominantly made up of family farms. Families make up the foundation of this significant industry, and because families are the building blocks, the love, generosity and resilience of our women in those families is one of the most important resources Australian agriculture has. We are indebted to NFF for the critical and supporting role they play.

The Australian community are looking for an agricultural industry that is dynamic, that reflects society’s values in food production, and one that protects the rights of producers but doesn’t take away resources from future generations of Australians. There are some mighty challenges ahead for us, but what each one of us knows after having been the RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year, is that we are the ones we have been waiting for. The legacy of years of investing in the leadership potential of Rural women is a powerful one, and we want the Australian Community to know, we are up for the challenges. 

In closing, Your Excellency, on behalf of RIRDC we look forward to continuing the conversation with you about creating the future investment in rural Women that will make a profound difference to our nation. We thank you for the opportunity to gather today and share our thoughts and passions – it is timely, it is appreciated and most of all from the daughters of Rural Australia, we thank you for the future and the opportunities we can create together. 

Thankyou.