MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release Thursday 8 August 2024
Authorised by Anthony O’Reilly
Harden Murrumburrah to Host the 2024 Rural Women’s Gathering
Tickets are now on sale for the highly anticipated annual Rural Women’s Gathering (The Gathering), scheduled for Saturday 19 October 2024, in Harden Murrumburrah.
This event, made possible by the NSW Government and organised by women local to the Hilltops region, aims to empower women and girls across regional, rural, and remote New South Wales. The gathering aims to assist participants to build new connections and learn new skills to ensure they can reach their full potential and thrive.
This year’s theme is ‘Sowing the Seeds of Success – Creating Your Own Work, Life Balance’, and will see women hearing from entrepreneurial women and experts; participating in cultural experiences, arts and crafts, and workshops; meeting local business vendors; and sampling local catering.
Minister for Women, the Hon Jodie Harrison MP who will be a guest on the day, has shared “Each year, the Rural Women’s Gathering brings women together to share experiences, learn and support one another. It is an important event to help regional women feel connected through friendship, mentorship and professional resources and services… I am excited to meet amazing women from across the regions at this year’s event and hear their stories and vision for the future” The Hon Jodie Harrison MP will be welcoming keynote speakers including:
Jana Pittman – Former Australian Olympian and two-time Athletics World Champion.
“I’m incredibly excited to be speaking at the Gathering. The theme, ‘Sowing the seeds of success – creating your own work, life balance’, is something I’ve had a bit of experience in. As a mother of six, juggling working at the hospital, time is very precious, so it’s about time management and ensuring you have good foundations in place to set you up for success… I’ve had to overcome many hurdles in my life, be that sporting injuries, the challenges that go along with having children and maintaining a healthy wellbeing. I can’t wait to share my experiences with the attendees and show them the more often you put yourself out there and things don’t go to plan — and you realise you survive it — the stronger you become.”
Ruby Reithmuller – Founder of Womn-Kind and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2024 NSW/ACT Finalist.
“As someone who grew up on a farm in the Riverina, I know first-hand how difficult accessing services and opportunities can be for women in the country… Womn-Kind is on a mission to ensure that young people living in rural, regional and remote locations have equal opportunity to access quality, timely and largely-preventative support… I’m looking forward to talking about mental health and wellbeing in the modern world. I’ll be sharing practical tools to optimise wellbeing, the current context of youth mental health in regional Australia and the ways that communities can support the young people in their lives.”
Kimberley Furness – Bendigo entrepreneur Kimberley Furness is an award winning magazine publisher and chart topping podcast host who spends her time sharing stories that centre around regional and rural women.
“Supporting rural, regional, and remote women is important to me because these women often face unique challenges, including limited access to services, economic opportunities, and social support… I will be speaking about the power of storytelling and its role in connecting and empowering women in rural, regional, and remote areas. I will share insights from my journey with OAK, highlighting stories of inspiring women who have overcome challenges and made significant impacts in their communities. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on the importance of representation, visibility and community support.”
This year participants will be able to choose from a full program of workshops including:
-
Bush Tucker – Cathy Olofsen – Learn about ingredients and their home cooking uses and learn how to create a Bush Tucker Garden in your own home.
-
Cultivating a Community of Rural and Regional Women in Business – Kimberley Furness – Gain invaluable networking opportunities and practical insights for women who are entrepreneurs looking to thrive.
-
Including Everyone in the Success of Your Community – Ros Stewart – Ros will share stories about helping people on the fringes, with disability or extra challenges, find success for themselves and their community.
-
Tennis From 5 to 95: Fun, Fitness, Friends – Michelle Kennett – Participate in a whole-body mobility warm up, followed by 4 activities around the game of tennis.
-
Make a Scarf: Wheelspins and Yarns of Wisdom – Samantha Longmore – Start your knitting adventure and create a knitted scarf to take home as a memento of the Gathering.
-
Female Physiology: Nutrition + Excercise – Mandy Bourlet – Learn how to support your physiology with nutrition and exercise for maximum health throughout your life.
-
Gentle Yoga for Everyday Life – 3 Bush Seeds – Learn simple ways to manage stress using yoga and breathing techniques that you can bring into your everyday life.
-
Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Modern Age – Ruby Riethmuller – Ways to optimise wellbeing and how to harness your power to believe in yourself to create change.
-
Paint for Wellness – Stephanie Corkhill Hyles – Unleash your creativity with some painting. Painting as a life tool can be used when we need to express ourselves.
-
Making the most of your iPhone: Capturing Everyday Life – Camilla Duffy – Feel confident behind your iPhone or smartphone in being able to capture all of life’s moments from big to small.
-
Growing Fresh Produce: Simply Herbaceous – Rotary Club of Harden Murrumburrah – Immerse yourself in ‘earthy’ tasks, learn new skills and learn ways to use herbs, in cooking, teas, air purifiers, soaps and more.
-
Golf for Everyone: An Opportunity to Thrive – Casey Thompson and Andrew Welsford – Learn some golf fundamentals and skills from the pros at Golf NSW and discover how much fun it can be, no matter your golfing experience.
HillHilltops Council is a proud sponsor of this event and are excited to see the event visit the Hilltops region. Tickets are $65 and are available until sold out. To secure your place at the 2024 Rural Women’s Gathering visit – https://events.humanitix.com/rural-womens-gathering-2024.
-Ends-
Media enquiries – Hilltops Council 1300 445 586