Mrs Irene Mills AM OSJ – President, NRWC Ltd 
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.
Dr Patricia Hamilton – Vice President, NRWC Ltd
Australian Women in Agriculture
Patricia is the Past 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 Anne Whalley – Treasurer, NRWC Ltd
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.
Donna Jeffries – Indigenous Representative
Donna is a descendant of the Wiradjuri Nation, born in Cowra NSW with strong connections across the Central, West, North-West and Riverina regions of NSW. After working for the past 30 years in Government and Community Controlled Organisations Donna established Yindyamarra Consultancy which is a small business specialising in the provision of services in all matters relating to Aboriginal Cultural Proficiency, Awareness and Appreciation. Donna has a wide range of experience in Aboriginal Affairs and business through a variety of experiences which include Senior appointments within NSW Government, Community Controlled Enterprises and as a Registered Nurse working in the Greater Western region of NSW. Donna’s personal and hands on experience is backed by several academic qualifications including an Executive Master’s in Public Administration – Monash University, VIC, Dip. Indigenous leadership – Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, ACT, B. Nursing – Charles Sturt University, NSW and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, BCA National, NSW. Donna is committed to improving the quality of life and ensuring inclusivity and advancement for one of Australia’s most disadvantaged groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Cr Alwyn Friedersdorff
Australian Local Government Women’s Association
Alwyn Friedersdorff comes from Tasmania where she has been an elected member on the Waratah-Wynyard Council for the past ten years. She has served as a board member for the Australian Local Government Women’s Association and is currently the national Treasurer and her State President and is a driving force in working towards gender equity and diversity in Local Government. She also serves on the Board of COTA Tasmania.
Alwyn has been a community driven person for most of her life which began in New Zealand where she trained as a primary teacher. As a member of CWI, and later CWA in Australia, rural community life was her training ground towards becoming a leader with a broad variety of interests. She has been acknowledged for her contribution to Australian society with the Centenary Medal in 2001, as a Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow in 2006 and as one of 120 Inspirational citizens from the North West coast of Tasmania by The Advocate newspaper, 2010.
She has gained Post Graduate Certificates in Housing Management & Policy (Swinburne 2000), implementing much of her learning into building and managing a small community housing project for People with Disabilities, and in Business Management (UTAS 2012) that directly relates governance issues, regional development, finance and entrepreneurship to her leadership role.
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