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The Inspirational Speakers for this years Gathering in Mount Gambier includes the following.... (click on any photo to veiw their profile or just scroll down for them all!)
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
BA. LLB (Qld). Hon LLD (Macquarie). Hon DLitt (Charles Sturt). Hon DUniv (Griffith). Hon DU (QUT). Hon LLD (Qld)
Quentin Bryce was born in Brisbane in 1942 and spent her early years in Ilfracombe, a small town in Central Western Queensland. In 1965, she graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from The University of Queensland and, in the same year, was admitted to the Queensland Bar. She has since enjoyed a rich and distinguished career as an academic, lawyer, community and human rights advocate, senior public officer, university college principal, and vice-regal representative in Queensland, and now Australia.
Ms Bryce’s former roles – some, among firsts for women in this country – include:
• Lecturer and Tutor in Law, The University of Queensland, 1968-1983
• Convenor, National Women’s Advisory Council, 1982-1984
• Inaugural Director, Queensland Women’s Information Service, Office of the Status of Women, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 1984-1987
• Director, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Queensland, 1987-1988
• Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1988-1993
• founding Chair and CEO, National Childcare Accreditation Council, 1993-1996
• Principal and CEO, The Women's College, University of Sydney, 1997-2003
• Governor of Queensland, 2003-2008
Quentin Bryce’s contribution to advancing human rights and equality, the rights of women and children, and the welfare of the family was recognised in her appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2003. Also in 2003, she was invested as a Dame of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
Ms Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Macquarie University (New South Wales) in 1998, an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University (New South Wales) in 2002, and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by The University of Queensland in 2006. She was conferred with the degrees of Honorary Doctor of the University by Griffith University (Queensland) in 2003, and Queensland University of Technology in 2004.
In her civic role as Governor of Queensland, Ms Bryce continued her work with women, families and young people while extending her influence across the State’s broad and diverse spectrum, including the rural, regional, aged, indigenous, migrant, and disability sectors.
As a mother and grandmother, Quentin is a role model and mentor to women at every stage of their lives. She values and encourages women’s capacity to form strong and enduring bonds of friendship, intellectual and emotional enrichment, and mutual support in their roles within the family, workplace and community.
On 5 September 2008 Quentin Bryce was sworn in as Australia’s twenty-fifth Governor-General. As the first woman to take up the office, she remains a pioneer in contemporary Australian society, and yet one who brings more than forty years of experience in reform, community building and leadership to the role.
Quentin Bryce and her husband, Michael, were married in 1964. They have two daughters and three sons, and six grandchildren.
Katina Sims - Guest Speaker
Manager/Founder Giannis Hair & Beauty and The Body RetreatKatina Sims opened her Mt Gambier hair and beauty salon in 1999 at the age of 22. As a way of differentiating her services from the city's 40 other salons, Katina introduced complimentary hand and foot treatments, make-up touch-ups and cappuccinos and massaging washbasins.
Client figures grew from 500 to 1500 in the first year, and today, Giannis Hair & Beauty employs 22 staff that serves a regular clientele of 5,000.
Katina opened a day spa called The Body Retreat offering Australia's first spa jet therapy. The Day Spa has now been opened for 5 years.
Pam Ronan -Guest Speaker
Principal of Tenison Woods CollegePam is currently Principal of Tenison Woods College, an R-12 Catholic school with over 1260 students.
She is also
- President of the TAFESA Regional Council,
- A member of the new South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Board,
- And a member of the Adult and Community Education Reference Group, Flinders University Rural Medicine Advisory Board,
- Chairperson of the UniSA Centre for Regional Engagement Advisory Committee
- And Past President of the Rotary Club on Mount Gambier Lakes
Pam has maintained both a keen interest and key roles in rural education and business development, with a focus on vocational and academic learning, especially within South Australian contexts. She brings a strong rural perspective on workforce development and has a passion for ensuring that rural and remote communities have access to the mainstream education and training benefits essential to sustaining rural women as knowledge workers and innovators.
Wendy Davis - Guest Speaker
Business Woman, Farmer and MotivatorMore Information Coming Soon!
Nancy Withers - Guest Speaker and Living Book Speaker Session C
Beef Cattle Farmer, Owner Pomanda Working Dog Kelpie StudNancy has broad experience in the livestock and related industries in the Limestone Coast region of S.A. as well as lecturing for TAFE on Working Dog training and for Farmsafe Aust.
She has worked in many different locations throughout S.A., NSW and Vic.
In 2003 she moved to Western Victoria where she now works on a contract basis as a Farm Manager on a mixed grazing property near Casterton.
She established the Pomanda Working Kelpie Stud in 1974 and has supplied many hundreds of kelpies for use in the livestock industry, both here and overseas. Her book 'Your Kelpie', an easy to read guide to understanding and training the working Kelpie has been very successful. Nancy has served on many committees and has Chaired several. These vary widely from Natural Resource Management to Education. She was a founding member of Women in Business and Regional Development, Limestone Coast, and is still an active member. Nancy was the ABC Radio 1996 S.A. Rural Woman of the Year. She has two sons, Simon, married to Rachael and Jonathan, married to Nicola.
Nancy's interests are studying the behavior of farm animals in order to improve stockmanship skills and analyzing the complex genetics of the Working Kelpie in order to breed consistent traits within litters. She enjoys writing, art, cooking and sewing. She is constantly asked for advice on working dogs.
She is passionate about the worth of rural industries to our nation and the role of women within these industries.
Brigitte Muir OAM - Guest Speaker
Mt Everest Summiteer, Adventure Guide, Film Maker, AuthorBrigitte Muir is the first Australian woman to have climbed Mount Everest and the first Australian, male or female, to have climbed the highest mountain on each continent. Her nine year long quest, which included four dramatic attempts on Mount Everest, gives her a unique insight on achieving long term goals, on maintaining personal motivation and on the most important skill needed when working with people: communication!
Her key points are illustrated by striking stories such as being abandoned by her team near the top of Everest, the 1996 disaster where eleven people died in a single night and what challenges await after you have climbed the highest of all mountains.
Brigitte makes a genuine connection with people, engages them and gives them a real sense of the journey, be it in business, at school, or in life.
Catherine Bird - Living Book Speaker Session A
Organic Beef producer, farm accident survivorHad her upbringing on a Northern Territory cattle station, moving through boarding school, which she disliked at first - but later came to enjoy and benefit from, then employment as a hairdresser, and marriage. Catherine and her husband and family moved around looking for a place to settle, and finally landed in Keith where they bred beef cattle by organic methods.
After the marriage broke up, Catherine continued to work the property, and it was there that she suffered a dreadful accident when her hair got caught in an auger. Fortunately her sister was able to reverse the post hole auger, and free her, but not before a lot of damage had been done to her scalp and face, which resulted in three years of recovery, including 14 operations.
Catherine still runs the property under the name of Indiana Organics using biological principles including a rotational grazing system, which makes the best use of the soil's natural rhythms.
She also set up the Green Frog Tea House in Keith, where she sells organic produce.
In spite of the terrible accident, Catherine is very positive in her outlook, full of enthusiasm for her work and demonstrates the value of her healthy lifestyle.
Abi Spehr - Living Book Speaker Session A
IRDC Rural Woman Award Winner 2007 for South AustraliaAbi Spehr is partner in a fourth generation mixed grazing and cropping property on South Australia's Limestone Coast and a successful rural facilitator, coach and mediator.
As a city girl moving into a very traditional farming family, Abi is committed to understanding the dynamics of farming families and the impact of the dynamics of relationships on the long term sustainability of the farm business.
Abi's Award ambition was to write a book on the relationship between the mothers and daughters-in-law and its impact on the farming family business to be titled 'Working Her Out'.
Her study sought to understand why and how mothers and daughters-in-law negotiate their relationships, highlighting how their experiences have impacted on the farming family business, succession and on family relationships.
Liz Harfull - Living Book Speaker Session A & C
PR Consultant, Freelance Journalist, AuthorAuthor Liz Harfull was born in Mount Gambier and grew up on a farm in Mil-Lel.
Liz Harfull has more than 25 years' experience as a journalist, freelance writer, editor and public relations consultant specialising in working with rural and regional communities. A keen amateur cook, she thinks nothing of whipping up afternoon tea for family and friends as a way of relaxing at weekends.
The Blue Ribbon Cookbook is her first book.
Dr Lucie Walters - Living Book Speaker Session B
Professor - Flinders Rural School, Inspirational experience in AfricaMount Gambier doctor has been promoted to Associate Professor in recognition for her role in a medical education program to train doctors for rural areas.
After working as a GP in the South East for many years, Dr Lucie Walters in 2001 joined the Flinders University Rural Clinical behind the Mount Gambier Hospital.
As senior lecturer, she led the parallel rural community curriculum, which was developed to support students to live and work in their community through the provision of physical infrastructure and social support.
Former Harvard Medical School head, Dr Malcolm Cox, recognised Dr Walters for her teaching and educational leadership when he announced her appointment as Associate Professor during his visit to Mount Gambier from the US.
Dr Walters said the appointment made her feel honoured.
'The new status brings positional power to influence educational bodies and medical boards,'Dr Walters said.
This year, eight students are training to be doctors at the Rural Clinical School and Dr Walters said she was positive most would settle in Mount Gambier or other rural areas.
'Since the curriculum started eight years ago, 70pc of students on the program have stayed and settled in rural areas,' Dr Walters said.
She described the program as a 'grow your own' where doctors are encouraged to become part of the local rural community where they train.
'The program shapes the workforce to improve social consciousness where a doctor does not look at a patient as a disease in bed three, but someone they play netball or hockey with,' Dr Walters said.
'This is achievable because doctors are privileged to be part of people's lives when they are most vulnerable during times of birth, death or sickness.'
In 2003, Dr Walters won a SA Great Regional Development Award and in 2004 she was a finalist in the SA Telstra Business Women's Awards for the Hudson Community Award. After Mount Gambier Hospital general surgeon Dr Matthias Wichmann, Dr Walters was the second person in medicine in Mount Gambier to be appointed as Associate Professor.
Marg Chapple - Living Book Speaker Session B
Natural TherapistAs a natural therapist Marg has run the Alternate Life Health & Wellbeing Centre based in Millicent. She has operated this business for 8 years.
Working previously as a hairdresser of 30 years Marg regularly moved from towns following her husband's career. This necessitated having to rebuild a successful business each time. Every move brought with it changes all of which helper her develop and grow the business model and lifestyle she enjoys.
Marg is looking forward to the opportunity to talk about her journey through life and what she has learnt from these experiences.
This will be called; 'Accepting the Challenges of Life' and will cover;
- How we need to face our fears;
- Be willing to accept change into our lives;
- Be open to opportunities that come our way;
- Accept the challenge;
- Stepping outside our comfort zone;
- Listen & watch for the sign posts along the way;
- Learning to speak up for ourselves;
- Letting go when its time to change.
Marg believes we are continually growing & evolving, & life can be very exciting.
We need to get excited about the smaller things in our life, & bigger & better things will then come our way.
Eve Barratt - Living Book Speaker Session B
CEO LifelineEve Barratt is from Co Wicklow, in Ireland where she worked in Education until migrating to Australia in the 1970s.
Her Irish background, at a time of great political turmoil in the country, has led her to a lifelong passion for social justice and a particular interest in the justice system.
After completing a degree in Social Science Eve took up the position of CEO of Lifeline South East in 1994. Since then, she has been able to contribute to several key social issues in the South East such as Suicide Prevention and Postvention, Working with Prisoners, Social Re-engagement of older people and more recently, developing programs that welcome skilled migrants to the region.
Eve currently sits on the Regional Advisory Board on Multi Cultural and Ethnic Affairs and on the South Australian Responsible Gambling Working Party.
Sandra Young - Living Book Speaker Session C
B Pharm, M ScTrained by Al Gore and Australian Conservation Foundation to present a Slide Show on Climate Change.
Lives at Kalangadoo with husband, Forrest, potato farmer, and has 4 children, Elizabeth, George, John and Rosemary.
Retired as a Pharmacist in 2007 - worked for Gambier City Pharmacies.
Former Forensic Scientist - studied in Glasgow, Scotland for MSc in Forensic Sc.
Taught science at Mary MacKillop Memorial School for many years.
Visited 52 different countries around the world.
Chairman of our region's Community Action for Sustainabilty (CAS) group.
Sandra will present an updated slide show on the science behind Climate Change, its effects around the world and how we can help to save our environment for future generations.