Catriona Rowntree, Emily Small, Stephanie Trethewey and Johanna Murphy at the Deniliquin event. Photo: The Art of Zowie Photography.
More than 200 rural mums from across Deniliquin and the wider Riverina recently came together for a day of connection, conversation, and community at Motherland’s inaugural fundraising event in the region.
Motherland is a national charity working to reduce isolation and improve mental health outcomes for women on the land. It was founded in 2019 by Stephanie Trethewey, who was struggling with post-natal depression and isolation after moving to a farm in Tasmania.
Ms Trethewey created a network through which mums could connect virtually and meet at various conferences and events, such as the Deniliquin fundraiser which raised more than $30,000.
It was hosted by local dairy farmer Fiona Waters, who connected with Motherland when she wanted support raising a transgender child in a small town.
“Motherland gives women the opportunity to find people outside of your community who understand what you’re going through,” she said.
“You can get together and have a whinge, talking about things you might not be able to speak about honestly in a small town, where there’s no anonymity.
“About 50 per cent of rural mums can’t access a mother’s group because of where they live, so this is a chance for mums to talk and make connections.”
Ms Waters said issues such as infertility, mental health struggles and parenting wayward children had an “added complexity” when you lived in a rural town that might be hours away from big city services.
“There’s also lots of stress around in the southern Riverina as there are parts of Australia that have been declared in drought,” she said.
The proceeds from the event will enable Motherland to grow its impact and bolster its scholarship fund which supports rural mums doing it tough to access its Motherland Village program for free. Women from across the region are encouraged to apply.
Ms Trethewey emceed the event and facilitated a panel of guest speakers and local rural mums which included Emma Hawkins, co-founder Home Grown Kids, Catriona Rowntree, former star of the hit TV show Getaway, Emily Small, Murray Irrigation and Rice Growers Association (RGA) board member and Johanna Murphy, owner of Deniliquin Physiotherapy and Sports Injury.
“The success of our first Deniliquin fundraiser is a testament to the generosity of local businesses, and the community spirit in the region. The reality is, we simply can’t do what we do without the support of events like these, and we are so grateful to all the incredible sponsors and donors who made Saturday’s event possible,” Ms Trethewey said.
The event was supported by many businesses, including the Edward River Council, Platinum Sponsors Yield Insurance and Saltbush Wind Farm.
In addition, many female-led local businesses and some from beyond the region, donated prizes for a raffle worth more than $7500.
Motherland also has a podcast, which has featured Ms Waters.
“There’s been over a million downloads of the podcast, and over 240 rural women have been interviewed,” she said.
The charity is hosting additional fundraising events in the coming weeks including Kingaroy and Clermont in Queensland on 24 May and 6 June. Further information can be found on the Motherland Australia website.
