GRAZIHER PODCASTS

Michelle Leonard believes everyone can sing. A self-proclaimed ‘relentless optimist’, the founder of Moorambilla Voices and New South Wales finalist for the AgriFutures Australia Rural Woman’s Award is on a mission to electrify the arts in country Australia and bring music to all.

For the last 18 years, Michelle has left her home in Sydney for nearly six weeks, driving upwards of 4000 kilometres around New South Wales, across 21 Local Government areas to recruit for her various ensembles.

Of the thousands of kids that she coaxes music from, 350 are selected to learn to sing, play drums, to dance and read music – going on to perform throughout the year in venues like Dubbo’s Regional Theatre and Convention centre and this year, the Sydney Opera House.

Eileen Breen is a woman of values, and no matter what curve balls life throws at her, she manages to find success in line with them.

Demolition is an interesting industry to work in for someone whose DNA is laced with sustainability – but it’s the inroads she and husband, Gerry are making when it comes to resource recovery and recycling that truly floats the boat of this nature loving business strategist. As the Northern Territory finalist in the AgriFutures Rural Woman’s Award, Eileen wears many hats, but at the core of all her commitments is a belief she can make the world a better place.

Sophie’s story is a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit and stands as a poignant reminder that even in the face of formidable challenges, happiness can be found again.

A born and bred western Queensland girl, Sophie was working at The Blue Heeler Pub in Kynuna in her early twenties. It was here, that her life would change forever. This is a love story, entwined with tragedy, and a new beginning.

Samantha Armytage helped millions of Aussies wake up every day for eight years, as one of our most loved TV personalities and co-host of popular national breakfast show, Sunrise.

Known for her humour, her sharp journalistic sense and for being a down to earth straight shooter, Sam radiates this beautiful authenticity which can often be lost in the shine of TV land – something she puts down to her country roots and her connection to her family on the land.

Her 23 years in media has been extraordinary – covering historic moments like the Canberra Bushfires, Brisbane’s floods and the trials of the Bali 9 and Schapelle Corby in Bali. She’s reported from the East Timor conflict, the Cronulla riots and Christchurch Mosque massacre, as well as Michael Jackson’s funeral in LA, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in London and Meghan and Harry’s wedding in Windsor.

And then last year, in March 2021 she let the sun set on her Sunrise career – resigning from the top seat in TV to move to the Southern Highlands equine property she shares with her new husband, Richard Lavender.

If there’s anyone who understands the diversity of women who love the land, it’s today’s guest, Victoria Carey. V, as she’s known by those who work with her, has been in the media game for more than two decades, including 11 years as the editor in chief of Country Style, and is now at the editorial helm of Graziher Magazine.

Yet a life in journalism almost didn’t happen – with a teenage horse-mad Victoria so nearly signing up to work in a racing stable.

Emily Herbert interviewed V the day after she put the latest issue of Graziher to bed and the jubilation and satisfaction at seeing another gorgeous copy of the magazine on its way to the printers was obvious in her voice.

And what a magnificent segue to announce that the Spring issue of Graziher is now on sale! It’s an absolute corker of an edition to celebrate our bimonthly launch, with compelling stories of Australian women spanning the width and length of the country. In this issue, we really draw our attention to Women across the Ages – and the articles borne from it are stunning – from Stephanie Trethewey’s letter to her baby daughter Evie to the inspiring eighty-something matriarch still checking her Merinos every day.

Originally from Paris, Alienor’s heart lies in adventure. She has lived in Brazil for 18-months managing a boutique hotel, has trekked across Mongolia on horseback twice and has travelled from Siberia to Paris in a motorbike sidecar.

But her most recent and all-encompassing trip was here in Australia. Passionate about advocating for the plight of the Aussie wild horse, Alienor trekked the Bicentennial National Trail with her three brumbies – an expedition that took 13-months across 5,330km.

Alienor started in Victoria’s Healesville and ended in Cooktown, Queensland. Around 50 people have completed the trek – more people have walked on the moon. She was the second woman to complete the trail, and the first with wild horses.

Her Australian story started 16-years ago, when the then 20-year old Alienor landed in Melbourne for a three week holiday. She never took her flight home, and ended up in Central Australia working in remote Indigenous communities.

Thank you to our Sponsor for this episode MaiaGrazing.

If you have a copy of the Winter edition of Graziher you’ve no doubt already met today’s guest Whitney Spicer. She’s not originally from the country but she’s young and vibrant, bubbly and creative, and she’s just the kind of women that small towns embrace because they choose to move their life and their family to the country.

Whitney lives with her husband and three kids in Manildra in central west New South Wales. As a newbie to country living she still takes delight in the things others sometimes take for granted – the school bus, the local show, and the dirt roads.

These are the things country folk sometimes grow tired of, but really, these things make the heart that keep small communities ticking, alive and checking in on one another – and from this strong foundations are created and they often breath confidence into other things – which in Whitney Spicers case is her work as an artist – which has seemingly bloomed since she’s lived in the country.

PHYLLi Designs is the brainchild of hat maker Laura Hall. Laura has just opened her flagship store in her hometown Scone and is one of the only traditional hat makers in Australia to have a bricks and mortar presence.

Ironically, she failed textiles in high school, and is also entirely self-taught. Her hats are now rocked by the likes of Matt Damon, Delta Goodrem and Elsa Pataky. There’s hope for us all!

Laura returned to her early childhood hometown after the 2020 lockdown, to be near her dad who sadly had terminal cancer. Yet 18-months ago, Laura was hardly making her Sydney rent. She had made the bold decision to leave her corporate career to pursue her creative passion – sparking a journey that has led her to become one of Australia’s premier hat makers.

Our amazing sponsors for this episode are the team from SG Off-Road – make adventure happen with SG Off-Road.⁠

To be honest, our host Emily Herbert struggled to know where to begin when writing this intro. Tracey’s resume is incredibly impressive. She was the first female CEO of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association. She has been a vital, driving force behind the watershed class action against the Federal Government’s 2011 live export ban to Indonesia – which has won the unwinnable, with an expected $600-million in compensation for producers and beef businesses.

She has recently been awarded the 2021 Queensland Country Life Beef Achiever at Rockhamptom’s Beef Week. She has been named one of Australia’s 100 Women of Influence, owns and runs a successful small business and is the mother of four sons who are sixth generation Territorians.

She has also known unbelievable tragedy and grief. But tough country calls for tough people and resilience was interwoven in the blueprint of Tracey’s childhood.

Our amazing sponsors for this episode are the team from SG Off-Road – make adventure happen with SG Off-Road.⁠

When a monsoonal low hit Thea Harrington’s farm, she and her husband Dudley sat in silence for hours, in fact days while downpour after downpour battered their tin roof – it was the stuff of nightmares – there was no communication with the outside world, and no way of moving from their home, no way to quantify the devastation.

For Thea – not originally from the country – there could have been no bigger introduction to Life on the Land – she’d only lived at Werrina, 30km north of Julia Creek for 18 short months before this great test of their relationship and new marriage.

The result is an awe-inspiring partnership, tested over and over again – each time coming up trumps with a growing gratitude for life and the people in it.

Thank you to our sponsor for this episode brought to you by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority, or QRIDA.