I was born into a rural community in Western Victoria. I care a great deal about communities in Australia – both rural and urban. I believe that people and communities are remarkably resilient and have the ability to transform their own futures, even when disaster strikes. After almost 30 years working in the Australian Public Service (APS), I chose to leave the APS to undertake research and to contribute to community recovery after natural disaster. You can read more about me if you are interested.
I am a PhD scholar at the Australian National University (ANU) – studying in this field. This ‘life change’ is about my desire to give something back to the communities that I’ve been a part of and have loved. It is about giving a voice to communities around this country, and highlighting what Australian communities do best – survive!
Because of my own personal story, I am committed to finding a way to bring together my knowledge as a rural woman, my experience of living and growing up in Australia’s rural areas, my policy and program experience in the APS, and my commitment to giving something back to country people.
I hope to work with communities to identify what we are capable of – the courage, the resilience and the creativity – to renew our hope in the future and our sense of community wellbeing. I intend to share the insights learned with the Australian government, with other governments and organisations, and with communities across Australia – as my contribution in our collective future.