Meet the Southern NSW women shaping their communities as 2026 finalists in the NSW Women of the Year awards. Top, left to right: Ruby Riethmuller, Jo Marshal and Hannah Orr. Front, left to right: Piper Clark, Clare Pearson and Miranda McGufficke. Photos: NSW Government.
The finalists for the 2026 NSW Women of the Year Awards include women and girls from across the state whose work is making a real difference in their communities, with Southern NSW strongly represented through nominees from Goulburn, Bigga, Cooma, Shoalhaven and Wagga Wagga.
Cooma’s own Miranda McGufficke is among the finalists in the Young Woman of the Year category.
Raised in a farming community, Miranda combined her childhood interest in agriculture with science, completing a Bachelor of Animal Science with a focus on genomics.
She now works in the merino industry, applying genomic tools to improve breeding decisions for better environmental outcomes and more predictable results.
Her work tackles long‑standing industry challenges and highlights opportunities for young women in regional areas to lead in science and technology fields traditionally dominated by men.
Also representing Southern NSW is Jo Marshall, a finalist for NSW Regional Woman of the Year. Jo, who is based in Bigga, leads the Australian Agricultural Centre and its Women in AG program, which delivers hands‑on education and pathways into agricultural careers for young people.
Her work focuses on tackling rural disadvantage by building partnerships between schools, industry, community organisations and government to support job seekers and young people disengaged from traditional education options.
In the NSW Community Hero category is Ruby Riethmuller, originally from Wagga Wagga.
Ruby is the founder and CEO of Womn‑Kind, a youth mental health organisation that delivers wellbeing education, support programs and digital resources to adolescents, including gender-diverse youth.
Through school workshops, an app and partnerships with community groups, Womn‑Kind has helped tens of thousands of young people access support and education, addressing gaps in mental health services for young Australians.
Ruby also serves as Deputy Commissioner (Lived Experience) at the Mental Health Commission of NSW.
Among the youngest group of finalists – the Ones to Watch category – are two girls from Southern NSW whose community contribution has already drawn attention.
From the age of seven, Piper Clarke from Shoalhaven has raised more than $15,000 for local and national charities, including hospital toy drives and services for people experiencing homelessness.
Despite facing her own health challenges, Piper continues to organise fundraisers and community initiatives.
Hannah Orr from Goulburn Mulwaree is the Youth Council’s Deputy Mayor and, among other notable achievements, has led a campaign to install a pedestrian crossing near her school, improving safety for students.
In addition to helping to lead her school’s social justice council she is also involved in local events such as the annual Lilac Festival, community bike rides and in 2025, she was recognised as Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s Young Citizen of the Year for her community efforts.
This year’s NSW Women of the Year Awards covers a wide range of categories, recognising contribution at different stages of life and in different sectors.
Finalists also include broader regional community contributors, such as Clare Pearson, CEO of Little Wings, and the Gidget Foundation Australia, which plays a critical role in bridging service gaps across rural and regional NSW.
The founders of The Gidget Foundation. Photo: NSW Government.
Little Wings is a not-for-profit that provides free flight and ground transport for seriously ill children and their families in rural and regional NSW, the ACT and Queensland.
Not only does Little Wings help families reach specialist hospitals and treatment centres they might otherwise struggle to access, but it’s introduced initiatives such as Medical Wings, which brings healthcare professionals into regional towns.
The Gidget Foundation Australia provides specialist perinatal mental health care and counselling to parents across NSW through in-person and telehealth services.
Its regional support reaches parents in southern NSW towns such as Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Nowra, Shellharbour and Moruya.
The NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony will be held on 5 March at the International Convention Centre in Sydney as part of NSW Women’s Week, which runs from 2 to 8 March.
The event will be livestreamed so communities across NSW can follow the announcements and celebrate the finalists’ contributions.
For more information visit the NSW Government’s Women of the Year Awards website.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
