“Do not choose the fast option. Do not go alone”: Cathy McGowan AO on getting that project off the ground

There is a beautiful proverb that I would like to share with you all this evening. I believe it encapsulates the spirit of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. The proverb is this: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Since 1994, the Rural Women’s Award has been a national platform for recognising the vital, complex and often unseen contributions of women to rural and regional communities. This continues today with AgriFutures Australia. For 25 years, we have celebrated, acknowledged and empowered more than 430 finalists. These female leaders have pioneered 430 individual projects in rural communities across our nation. They saw a challenge to overcome. They identified a need. They grew an idea. 

At this stage, it could have been easier to take this idea and grow it — alone. It could have been faster to get the concept off the ground and running. We all know of circumstances in our everyday lives where it seems faster to go alone. Grocery shopping with young children, getting out the door for work, visiting an art gallery. 

Yes, it may be faster to go alone. But it’s human nature to go together. When we have an idea, our first question is: “What do you think?”. And with that question, we invite others on our journey. 

But just why is it that we like to go together? Because we want to go far. We want to succeed. And we know that to go far in life, we need a network of supporters, helpers and encouragers. We need others to help grow our ideas, to bring new perspectives to ensure greater impact, and to help promote and shine a light on the work we do. A network also helps us be collectively courageous. 

In this room tonight, the spectacular Great Hall of Parliament House, we are the supporters, helpers and encouragers. We are here for our inspiring national finalists and we want you to succeed. To our seven 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Finalists — Carol Mudford, Isabella Thrupp, Nicole McNaughton, Kelly Johnson, Kristy Hollis, Mary Cole and Sarah De Jonge — a huge congratulations to you.

We are your support crew. We are your people. And on top of this, you have an incredible alumni network to lean into for advice and inspiration. Please do not choose the fast option. Do not go alone. Let’s take your projects far and let’s go together. 

The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is not just the trophy that we hand out this evening. It’s not the photo opportunity against the media wall. And it’s not the thousands of likes on the Facebook post tonight. It is an invitation. An invitation to step up and step forward.

It is about women taking action to fix an issue. It’s about women being solutions-focused. And importantly, it’s about women activating their networks so, in many instances, their solution can be rolled out in other communities that may face similar challenges.

The ripple effect of the finalists’ projects carries much further than the postcode where they reside. In many instances, the impacts are felt across borders. For example, with our current finalists, Carol is saving lives in the shearing industry by offering mental health support. Isabella is redefining fashion in the outback and highlighting the untold stories of life on outback stations. Nicole is helping agrifood businesses grow, collaborate and thrive. Kelly is a leader in creating sustainable outdoor food solutions. Kristy is integrating naturopathic care into public health policy. Mary is transforming farming operations and restoring degraded landscapes. And Sarah is promoting a kindness movement, one woollen heart at a time. 

We already have witnessed the ripple effect from our prominent alumni. Take, for example, just three projects from alumni who are gracing us with their presence tonight. There’s the 2018 New South Wales Finalist Shanna Whan, who founded the now-national charity Sober in the Country. Shanna bravely outed herself as someone who had battled alcohol addiction then widely shared her story to help people just like her. Shanna is creating a new narrative in the outback, where the welfare of our mates is more important than the choice of drink in our hand. And you are invited to share the #OK2SAYNO message tonight with some of the non-alcoholic beverages on your table. 

Natasha Roebig is also in the room tonight. The 2019 Queensland Finalist has inspired a new generation of beekeepers through her business, Bee All Natural, and her interactive beekeeping training hub. Natasha is mentoring new and aspiring apiarists with her motto: “No barriers to beekeeping.”

And we have Tanya Egerton, our 2024 National Winner and founder of the Remote Opshop Project, which supports the creation of community owned and led op shops in First Nations communities. These shops also serve as launchpads for Indigenous entrepreneurship. Each store generates independent funding for projects rooted in culture and community. 

These are just three success stories from our incredible network of 430 award alumni, with projects as diverse as our rural communities themselves. And it would be remiss of me not to use this opportunity to plug our brand new Rural Women’s Award book, which celebrates 25 years of the award with stories to fuel your ambition and inspire you to back yourself to be the next force for change. 

And on that note, please back yourself. Or back your friend, neighbour, colleague or family member. If you know of someone with a project, business or program that is creating impact and making a difference to rural industries or communities, encourage them to apply for the 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. Applications close on 7 November 2025 (30 January 2026 for Northern Territory residents).  

This is an edited transcript.

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