Council Members

Cr Darriea Turley- (President, NRWC Ltd)- Australian Local Government Women’s Association

Mrs Heather Wieland – (Chair, NRWCN) - Country Women’s Association Australia

Dr Patricia Hamilton (Vice President, NRWC Ltd and Deputy Chair, NRWCN) - Australian Women in Agriculture

Mrs Irene Mills AM OSJ  (Secretary, NRWC Ltd and NRWCN) - National Rural Health Alliance

Anne Whalley (Treasurer, NRWC Ltd and NRWCN) - Women’s Industry Network - Seafood Community

Michelle Deshong- Indigenous Representative

Ms Karen Tully  - Foundation of Australian Agriculture Women

Ms Leticia Cross - Foundation of Australian Agricultural Women

Cr Alwyn Friedersdorff - Australian Local Government Women’s Association

Mrs Julii Tyson - Women’s Industry Network- Seafood Community

Helen Christie - Country Women’s Association Australia

Val Lang AM - Australian Women in Agriculture

Lesley Young - Tasmania

Susan Stratigos – ACT

Rural Doctor’s Association – Female Doctor’s Group

 

About the Council Members…

 

Cr Darriea Turley – President, NRWC Ltd

Australian Local Government Women’s Association

 

Darriea Turley is the immeadiate Past President of the NRWC having served two terms from 2007 to 2009. In April 2009, Darriea was elected as National President of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association.

Darriea served as a Councillor with the Broken Hill City Council 1995-2007 and was elected to Council in the December 2009 elections. Darriea has served as Vice Chair of the State record Authority NSW and as a Board member of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (national and state) and Chairs the Broken Hill Tidy Towns Committee.

Darriea has served on the NSW Department of Women Women’s Grants Committee and Chaired the NSW Women in Local Government 10 Point Plan Committee.

Darriea initiated the NSW Charter for Women with the Local Government and Shires Association NSW, Australian Local Government Managers Association NSW and the Australian Local Government Women’s Association NSW.

Darriea is the Manager for Community Engagement for the Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS). The GWAHS is one of eight Area Health Services across NSW and one of four rural Areas.  Greater Western covers some 55% of NSW being approximately 445,000 square kilometers.

Her work entails management of a large and diverse area health service to strengthen community participation in the provision of health care. This includes developing processes and strategies for community participation and consultation and providing support to the Area Health Advisory Council and 43 Local Health Councils.

Mrs Heather Weiland - Chair, NRWCN

Country Women’s Association of Australia

 

Heather was born in Springsure in Central Queensland, and at a young age moved with her family to Yeppoon on the Capricorn coast.

Heather is married with (5) adult children and (21) grandchildren.   Her late husband, John was an enormous supporter of her voluntary work in the community.

Within the Queensland Country Women’s Association, Heather has held the offices of State President 2005 – 2008, State Vice President 2002 – 2005, Division President and member of State Council, Chairman of the Port Curtis Division Emergency Housekeeper Scheme, Branch President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and International Officer during her 26 years of membership.

During this time Heather has overseen the building of the $12m Queensland Country Women’s Association State Office and Accommodation block “Ruth Fairfax House”. Heather was also the Approved Provider for the four QCWA owned Aged Care Facilities.

Heather was also awarded the prestigious  Queensland Countrywoman of the Year in 1997, in recognition of her service both within the Association as well as her significant contribution to her Gladstone community. This role included: Honorary Secretary of the Gladstone Central Committee on the Ageing Membership of the Management committee (22 years), providing hands on relief for the Office/welfare worker, Treasurer for the Transaid Bus committee, fundraising for the replacement buses, attending deputations to the Qld Minister for Housing to obtain funding for the building of a Retirement Village, and negotiations with the Department of Lands to secure appropriate land for the village.

It is pleasing to note that Heather’s endeavours in this area has produced more that 40 independent living units for the aged and disabled of Gladstone.

Heather has also represented the QCWA on the:

Rural Health Advisory Council

Queensland Road Safety Council

United Nations of Australia Queensland Branch

Queensland Rural Industries Training Council.Cancer screening reference group (current) and the Queensland Premier’s Seniors Awards Selection committee (current)

At National Level Heather will represent the Association’s  members from all over Australia on the:

National Rural Health Alliance

Australian Competition and Consumer Council Consumer Advisory Committee

Food Safety Information Council and

Personal Tax Advisory Group to the ATO

Dr Patricia Hamilton – Vice President, NRWC Ltd

and Deputy Chair, NRWCN

Australian Women in Agriculture

 

Patricia is the President of the National Australian Women in Agriculture Ltd and has served the organisation as a National learning Coordinator, Company Secretary and Editor of the newsletter, The Buzz. Each of these positions has given her the opportunity of working with a team of women committed to developing a dynamic organisation which aims to strengthen the adaptability, resilience and sustainability of their rural communities.

She is a retired sheep farmer, a retired Secondary School Principal and a life-long learner who willingly shares these passions. She currently lives with her husband, Geoff, on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.  Patricia has a BA (Hons) in Anthropology and English and a PhD in which she recently explored how the learning activities of the Australian Grains Industry’s National Partners in Grain Project increased women’s participation in family farming businesses and in leadership positions in their industry. She also considered why, when rural communities are faced with challenges and change, women and young people are seen by industry stakeholders as the key to efficiency, increased profitability and productivity and sustainability in agriculture. She believes that there is a need for strong and informed voices in responding to the challenges currently facing us.

In 2009, Patricia was acknowledged on the South Australian Women’s Honour Roll in recognition of her dedication and continuous commitment as an advocate and mentor for rural women and youth across the country. Patricia has been able to combine her knowledge and experience from a diverse career to design and implement training programs for women who live in rural communities. Patricia’s involvement in research and evaluation with rural industries and communities has equipped her with a wide range of research and evaluation processes and experiences to be a valuable resource to maximise the contribution of rural women to sustainable, resilient and profitable rural industries and communities. She believes that individuals can achieve whatever they want if they have the desire and vision.

Remember: Be passionate—people die from the cold within.

 

Mrs Irene Mills AM OSJ – Secretary, NRWC Ltd and NRWCN

National Rural Health Alliance

 

Irene has lived all her life in rural Australia as a farmer, active community member and advocate for sustainable rural communities and lifestyle enhancement of rural people. She has worked tirelessly as a Hospital Board member for the retention and improvement of Health and Aged care services in small rural communities.

While Chair of Friends of the National Rural Health Alliance 2003 -2008, Irene was member of the Alliance Council and a board member, Irene was elected representative for NRHA to NRWC in 2004. Is also Chair of the Avon & Western District Health Advisory Council, Secretary of the Dalwallinu Telecentre and in Jan 2009 was appointed to the Rural Regional & Remote Women’s reference group in WA,   she has previously chaired a Ministerial working party to review Governance of Rural Health Services in WA and was a member of the WA Active Ageing Task Force. In 2007 & 2008 Irene was a mentor for the Young Rural Women’s Leadership program.

As chair of WA Country Hospital Board Council Irene has represented rural communities at numerous forums and on many committees and presented papers at numerous workshops and Conferences and had a paper published in the Rural Health Journal of Australia. Irene chaired and established the first Multi Purpose Health Services Pilot in Australia.

In 1996 Irene was awarded an Order of Australia AM for her services to Rural Health and Rural Communities then in 2001 was recognized as volunteer of the Year by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. In 1998 I was awarded a Servicing Sister medal by the St John Ambulance in WA for my services to humanity. Then 2003 presented a paper on Aged Care in Small Rural Communities at an International Conference on Ageing.

Mrs Anne Whalley – Treasurer, NRWC Ltd and NRWCN

Women’s Industry Network – Seafood Community

 

Anne Whalley is the former National President of WINSC, Qld Director and Bundaberg Branch President of WINSC. She has been involved in WINSC for the past 7 years, as an inaugural member of the Qld Body and as a voting delegate on the National Rural Women’s Coalition on and off for several years.

She married into the seafood industry 37 years ago, producing 2 sons, who inturn produced 4 granddaughters and 1 grandson. She is a partner with her husband in a wild harvest of seafood business based in Bundaberg as the business manager for this operation as well as a part-time operating theatre receptionist at a local private hospital. She been involved in the medical profession for over 26 years and is very passionate about rural, regional and remote health services and access to these services for people in these areas of Australia.

Anne has lived along the Queensland seaboard all her life having worked on their trawler from Cape Flattery in the north to Bundaberg in the south catching coral reef fish and mackerel, prawns, scallops, Moreton Bay bugs and several species of crab until she decided to become a mum.

She is very committed to highlighting the socio-economic impacts of fisheries closures on fishing families and was invited to deliver a paper at the Inaugural International Marine Protected Areas Congress in Geelong in October, 2005 to an audience of 875 delegates from 80 countries.

Anne attained her Advanced Diploma of Business Management in April, 2003. She completed a Building Rural Leaders course in Bundaberg over a 9 month period in 2006. She has participated in an Australian Institute of Company Directors Workshop has a Certificate IV in Seafood Industry (Aquaculture) – to conduct a self audit of a quality system and a Certificate 111 in Business Administration – Medical Terminology and another Certificate 111 in Business Administration  to create electronic presentations . Anne has a Statement of Attainment for a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) based Food Safety Planning certificate to develop a Food Safety Plan.

Her outside interests extend to being a Member of the Steering Committee for the FRDC People    Development Project, member of Zonta International, a committee member of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Local Marine Advisory Committee Bundaberg Region, and coordinator of the World Rural Women’s Day Event in Bundaberg for the past 5 years.

Anne is heavily committed to the seafood industry and campaigns tirelessly to promote the ecologically sustainable and environmentally safe practices of the wild harvest operations they are involved in as well as the benefits to the consumer of fresh local seafood. She is passionate in her pursuit of an improved image for the seafood industry.

 

Ms Karen Tully 

Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women

 

Karen Tully lives in Charleville in South West Queensland and is a Director of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women. Karen has proactively sought a number of rural and remote representational positions where she uses her skills to connect and network at a local, state and national level.  It is through this involvement that she is a voting representative on the National Rural Women’s Coalition.  She also serves as a Board Member of Rural Solutions Queensland, which administers the South West Rural Financial Counselling Service. Karen grew up on a cattle and grain property near Tara, (Queensland) where her family still lives.  Apart from three years living overseas, Karen has spent her entire life in rural and regional Queensland, and appreciates the wonderful livability and unique lifestyle that is enjoyed by residents in rural communities.

Karen has a Bachelor and a Master of Education; a Diploma of Financial Markets; a Certificate IV in Business (Governance) and Training and Assessment and is a JP. Currently, she is the Director of Mulga Solutions.  This consulting business services people and organizations in rural and remote Queensland by providing direction and energy to various projects in a range of fields, including short and medium term project work in research and concept development, event management and training. Karen is a mother to two young children, and together she and her husband run an independent rural merchandise business and a beef breeding enterprise. Prior to moving into the consulting field, she worked in rural and distance education for over twenty years as a teacher, Deputy Principal, Research Officer and Principal.  She is inspired by visions of what could be.  The big picture of the future in rural and remote Australia is one that energizes her.

 

Cr Alwyn Friedersdorff

Australian Local Government Women’s Association

 

Ms Leticia Cross

Foundation of Australian Agricultural Women

 

Val Lang AM

Australian Women in Agriculture

 

Val Lang is a board member of Austrailan Women in Agriculture.She is part of a family farming business in Lismore, producing fine wool, oilseeds, legumes, cereal grains and hay. Her formal training is in agricultural science. B.Ag.Sci Melb.Uni She taught for 20 years, mainly senior chemistry, science and agriculture. Dip Ed Melb Uni.

Val has Board experience including10 years on local rural and regional hospital boards, 10 years with the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women, including two terms as president and three years Australian Women in Agriculture. She is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and a member of the Institute of Company Directors. She has contributed to the board of the Corangamite Catchment Authority for the last six years and is currently deputy chair.

Val is active in organisations in her local community, including as secretary of the Mount Elephant Community Management committee and president of the Lismore Progress Association.

She was recently honoured with an Australia Day Award (AM)