Motherland Australia

Tom Curtain always dreamed of living and working in the Northern Territory. What he didn’t know was how much that dream would ask of him. After heading north, Tom built a thriving horse-training business across the Top End and discovered an unexpected talent for music. Then the 2011 live cattle export ban hit. Almost overnight, the work dried up. Under immense financial pressure, Tom did whatever he could to stay afloat, shoeing horses, working around the clock and singing at caravan parks four nights a week. At the same time, his marriage broke down and his two young children mo...

John Murdoch likens people to rubber bands. You can only stretch them so far. And for him, the breaking point came during the drought and bushfires of 2019 and 2020. Years earlier, he’d left a career in accounting to return to the family farm in the Monaro region of New South Wales. He wanted to work alongside his dad, and build a future with his wife, Kate. Now, he was feeding livestock through drought, helping his parents through their separation, and raising a young family of his own. He felt needed everywhere. Then, in the middle of it all, his se...

In June this year, Nikita Hayes was home with her two little boys when their house caught fire. They escaped, but within hours, almost everything they owned was gone. Just a few months on, she’s speaking publicly in depth about what happened for the first time. But Nikita’s story begins long before that — growing up on a sprawling cattle station outside Alice Springs, going droving, meeting her husband Luke and, just eight months later, being the one to propose… and trust me, where and how she did it is a story in itself! Then came motherhood and two litt...

Charlie Arnott’s great-great-great-grandfather founded Arnott’s Biscuits. His grandfather helped create the Tim Tam. And Charlie became the first in five generations to forge a different path. At just 25, he unexpectedly took over his family’s farm near Boorowa in New South Wales. But behind Charlie’s life on the land is a deeply personal journey of figuring out who he is, what makes him happy, and the kind of man, husband and father he wants to be. Today, Charlie opens up about the beliefs he carried from childhood, the inner work that followed, and how it’s shaped his...

Kristie Bargenquast was pregnant with her son, Mitchell, when she went searching for answers about her own health. Everyday movements were becoming harder, and when Mitchell was just over a year old, Kristie was diagnosed with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic condition causing progressive muscle weakness. Suddenly, she was navigating new motherhood alongside a disability that was changing what her body could do. Today, Mitchell is 11 and has become her beautiful right-hand man, instinctively stepping in when she needs help. Living in Queensland’s South Burnett, Kristie also struggled to find work that could accommodate her declining mobility, so...

Brendan Cullen lived 600 kilometres from the nearest beach when he decided to become an open-water swimmer. Training before dawn in lakes and dams, he went on to swim the English Channel in 2022 - spending 17 hours in the water and covering 64 kilometres. But Brendan will tell you that wasn’t the hardest thing he’s ever done. A lifelong sheep and cattle farmer from Broken Hill, Brendan spent decades carrying childhood trauma he didn’t speak about. In 2015, struggling with depression, he walked into Broken Hill Base Hospital and said: “I need help.” It changed his life - and the kind of hu...

Amie Penny was born and raised in suburban Sydney and was building a promising career at Macquarie Bank when one weekend on a family farm near Cowra changed everything. Within a month, she’d quit her job and moved into a rundown farmhouse with no job, no real plan and no idea how to farm. It was there she met her husband Jason, but building the life they wanted would take almost 15 years, countless moves and plenty of sacrifice. Amie raised their two children largely without a village while Jason worked away, with their son Cooper attending six different pr...

Fiona Bryant always knew she wanted to be a mum — she just didn't know how hard she'd have to fight for it. After a polycystic ovaries diagnosis, Fiona faced years of fertility treatment, multiple miscarriages and gruelling trips to IVF appointments, all while keeping much of her struggle private. Today, she and her husband Mark have five children and run a farm in central New South Wales. In this episode, Fiona reflects on raising her family, embracing her role as a stay-at-home mum, and supporting her teenage son through a diabetes diagnosis. Now, as her kids start leaving home, sh...

During one of Melbourne’s lockdowns in 2020, Jess Guthrie’s friend convinced her to apply for a little show called Farmer Wants a Wife. Jess and Andrew met on the show, spent 11 months navigating a long-distance relationship and eventually built a life together in Dalgety, in the Snowy Mountains. They married in March 2024 and soon began trying for the baby Jess had dreamed of for years. But becoming parents wasn’t straightforward. At 23, after more than a decade of debilitating periods, Jess had been diagnosed with stage four endometriosis. She knew falling pregnant could be difficult, but she wasn’t prepar...

At 21, Liz thought she was building a business, a relationship and a future. Three years later, she walked away carrying debts in her name that she hadn't created and questioning everything she once believed about herself. Liz grew up in Queensland's cattle industry, studied agribusiness and built a career in feedlots and property management. But as her relationship became increasingly toxic and controlling, she slowly lost confidence in herself. Leaving meant rebuilding financially and emotionally, learning to trust herself again, and raising her son without the family life she had imagined. Today, she's helping manage four family properties in...

Nine years ago, Georgie Cavanagh was living in Sydney, working in influencer marketing while building her French linen and homewares brand, Carlotta + Gee. Farm life was the furthest thing from her life plan. But during a work trip to Orange, she met a bloke named Curtis at the local pub. After a year of long distance, Georgie fell pregnant with their first child and packed up her Sydney life to move to his family’s cattle and cropping property near Narromine. The isolation hit hard after their daughter Amelia was born. Now, two and a half years later, Georgie an...

Jo Edson first met her partner Nathan at a country rodeo in South Australia more than a decade ago. Before life brought them back together, Jo spent years chasing adventure across Australia. She worked on sheep stations, milked cows in Tasmania, became a head stockman, chased a bodybuilding dream on the Gold Coast, worked in shearing sheds, lived in the Top End, and never stopped saying yes to the next opportunity. But after finally finding everything she'd been searching for, Jo faced her biggest challenge yet. While pregnant with her first child, she suddenly lost her dad. Then, after...

Lezli Burgess was living in Austin, Texas when she met the love of her life. The only problem? He was from Tasmania. Just six months later, she moved to the other side of the world for a man she barely knew. Today, she's raising two young sons with her husband, Cameron, on Bruny Island. But motherhood in one of Australia's most remote communities hasn't always been easy, with no childcare, no hospital, and neighbours who become your lifeline. On today's episode, Lezli shares her extraordinary journey of leaving everything behind for love, building a family and business on a...

By the time Kirstin Fox was 35, she had been married twice, lost a daughter to stillbirth, and rebuilt her life more times than most people ever will. Growing up on a small farm outside Young in regional NSW, Kirstin never imagined the heartbreak that would shape her life. At just 25 years old, her daughter Phoebe was stillborn – a loss that changed her forever. In the years that followed, Kirstin navigated unimaginable grief, divorce, single motherhood and the challenge of starting over again and again. Yet through it all, she kept finding a way forward. One question became her anchor, an...

Shianne O'Donoghue-Kent entered her first rodeo at five and by 25 had won Australian rodeo titles, spending most of her life in the saddle. What she didn't expect was becoming a stepmum to four children before 30, or facing a pregnancy that nearly left her unable to walk. At 20 weeks pregnant, Shianne could barely move. Doctors said the pain was normal, but an MRI later revealed two ruptured discs and severe nerve damage that had left her unable to move her right leg. Surgeons warned she could lose her ability to walk altogether. Today, Shianne lives near Echuca on the NSW-Victoria...

Jess Reynolds lives in the Snowy Valley region of NSW, helping run her family’s Angus stud while raising four daughters with her husband. Warm, funny and incredibly jovial by nature, Jess also has a deeply reflective side that shines through in this conversation. But behind the demands of farming, motherhood and community life, she was struggling in ways she couldn’t explain. It wasn’t until her eldest daughter was diagnosed with autism and ADHD that things began to make sense. Since then, Jess has navigated bushfires, COVID lockdowns, homeschooling, burnout, her own ADHD diagnosis, and the realities of rai...

At just 19, Lacey Long launched her first online clothing store—long before online shopping became the norm. A proud indigenous woman with an entrepreneurial spirit, Lacey later founded Buck Wild Country after struggling to find the kind of country clothing her husband wanted to wear. What began as an idea has grown into one of Australia’s best-known western fashion brands, with a deeply personal mental health story behind the name. In this episode, Lacey shares the story behind the business, balancing entrepreneurship with raising three children, navigating FIFO life and regional moves, and why building a life that work...

Katie Craig thought she knew what motherhood might look like. She and her husband Lachy were building a life together in Biloela, Central Queensland, and after years of worrying endometriosis might affect fertility, they were overjoyed to be expecting their little boy, Dougy. But at just 27 weeks pregnant, Katie went into labour. Dougy weighed only 1.1 kilograms at birth, and Katie was then separated from him for the first seven days of his life after testing positive to COVID. What followed was months in NICU, brain surgery, hearing loss investigations, and years navigating medical trauma in rural Australia. Then, just...

You might know Lottie Rae from Australian Survivor. Or from Portrait Artist of the Year, where she painted Ken Done. Or maybe from the time Gigi Hadid slid into her DMs and bought one of her paintings for Bella. Perhaps you follow her art online or listen to her podcast.  But behind the art, the TV appearances and the wild stories, is a deeper side to Lottie you’ve probably never heard before. Until now. 

Lottie was just 22 when she unexpectedly fell pregnant with her eldest son, two days before she was due to leave for Europe. What...

Nikki Lyons didn’t grow up on the land. She was raised in Western Australia, and only discovered agriculture as a teenager. But by 17, she’d bought her first shearing kit and started chasing work in sheds across the country. More than 20 years later, Nikki is a mum of four living in Yass, NSW, and one of Australia’s most remarkable shearers. In 2024, she set a women’s world record by shearing 395 merino lambs in eight hours. Then in 2025, she made an additional record by shearing 502 merinos in nine hours. After taking almost a decade away from shearing to raise he...

Cailyn Muntelwit grew up on cattle properties across Central Queensland in a loving but emotionally unstable home, navigating school, undiagnosed neurodivergence, and a brain that never switched off. At 19, she met her partner Frank in the stock camp, and by 27 they were starting a family of their own. But motherhood hit hard. With ADHD, a child navigating ADHD and autism, and a partner working away for months at a time, those early years became more about survival than balance. In this episode, Cailyn shares how she’s learning to break generational patterns, parent differently, and build a life that wo...

Not long ago, Alison Gossage made a decision that some rural women quietly face… but rarely talk about. She left the land. Ali is a mum of two, who was living and working on a farm in Esperance, WA, building a life in agriculture alongside her husband, raising babies in the bush, and doing everything she could to hold it all together. But behind the scenes… things were not okay. What started as the everyday juggle of motherhood - two under two, long days alone, limited support - slowly became something much heavier. Something that Ali didn’t recognise at fir...

Ellen Fitzgerald is a mum of three living on a cattle property northwest of Longreach. Like so many rural mothers, her days are full… raising children, running a business, and building a life on the land alongside her husband. But recently, Ellen has found herself in a position she never expected… becoming an accidental advocate for rural families. Right now, Ellen’s family  (like many in remote areas) is facing the very real possibility of losing the in-home childcare they rely on, with current support systems not extending to families in her situation, making it increasingly unaffordable. I invited Ellen o...

Last month, rural mum of two Courtney Moir was crowned the winner of Muster Dogs Season Four. But there’s a lot more to her story than what you saw on TV, and today she shares all of it publicly for the first time. From working in banking, to swiping right on a farmer, to moving to a remote property just weeks before becoming a mum — it was a lot of change, all at once. What followed was a period of anxiety and isolation and it wasn’t until Courtney found something just for herself… that things began to shift. D...

Rachel Bjelke-Petersen spent her childhood weekends travelling Queensland’s campdraft circuit with her dad. While horses, cattle and red dirt were always part of her, life took her in many directions — but something was always missing.After spinal surgery in her mid-20s, her goal was simple: get back on a horse… and she did exactly that. In 2022, she packed up and drove 1,100 kilometres west, where she says she’d never felt more at home. Then one unexpected moment changed everything… hitting a pothole and meeting her future husband! Within months, Rachel had stepped into life on Christian’s fourth-gener...

Tahnee McCarthy is a paediatric physiotherapist, mum of two, and stepmum to one living outside Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. The life she’s building with her young family has been shaped by extraordinary challenges. After the traumatic birth of her first baby and undiagnosed postnatal depression, Tahnee was navigating early motherhood when her husband Aaron was involved in a catastrophic farming accident that changed everything. Aaron lost his leg that day — but somehow saved his own life. What followed was a journey neither of them expected. While Aaron channelled his recovery into becoming a Paralympic snowboarder, Tahnee bega...

Michelle Hamilton lives on a farm in Central Queensland with her husband Pete and son Wiley. Growing up on the land, she thought she was ready for rural life — but motherhood brought challenges she never saw coming including post natal depression. But Michelle’s turning point came unexpectedly at a local agricultural show, where she encountered alpacas! What began as a simple encounter grew into something much bigger. Breeding alpacas and growing her business helped Michelle rediscover purpose, energy and connection, and re-engage with motherhood, her family and herself. Then a near-fatal farming accident involving her husband forced their fami...

Vanessa Bell has lived many lives in one. Discovered at just 15, she was launched into high fashion — travelling the globe and shooting for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. But behind the glamour came grit. A chapter marked by domestic violence, sleeping in her car, and temporarily losing her sight from stress forced Vanessa to rebuild from the ground up. It was through knitting that she began to heal. In a full-circle moment, that same fibre now sits at the heart of her life. Today, Vanessa is a Merino wool grower in the New England high country, a stepmum to thre...

Kimberly is a psychologist and mum from Moranbah, Queensland. Five years ago, her world was shattered when she lost her 13-year-old son, Ethan, just nine weeks after a leukemia diagnosis. Ethan was a talented young footballer, signed to the Broncos’ elite development squad — strong, determined and full of life. And then, in a matter of weeks, everything changed. In this episode, Kimberly shares those unimaginable months… from the first signs something wasn’t right to a Christmas Day hospital visit that turned their world upside down. But this conversation isn’t only about loss. In her grief, Kimberly saw how little...

Prue McCormack is a sixth-generation cattle farmer in the Hunter Valley, NSW, a vet, and a mum of two. When her son Jock was three, Prue and her husband began noticing developmental delays. What followed were long waitlists, countless appointments, and eventually a diagnosis of autism and ADHD. In this episode, Prue shares the shock, grief and guilt that came with that moment — along with the fierce love that drives her motherhood. She speaks candidly about meltdowns, public judgment, rural healthcare gaps, and the toll it’s taken on her nervous system. But she also shares the beauty — the streng...

Laura Wilson lives in Quilpie in far western Queensland, where she and her partner Jake are raising six children under the age of ten. Yes, six! A registered nurse by background, Laura always knew she wanted to be a mum. What she maybe didn’t plan on was becoming a mother at 24, growing her family quickly, and spending long stretches solo parenting while Jake built their trucking business. She’s birthed babies hundreds of kilometres from home, and in one case, delivered one of her sons herself. In this conversation, we talk about big families, remote healthcare, and why Laur...

Today I’m thrilled to bring you a bonus episode with Kylie Lindsay, Head of nbn Local in Queensland, for a powerful conversation about leadership, motherhood, mental health, and regional connectivity. Kylie shares her journey from growing up in Townsville to working in high-pressure politics, navigating anxiety, and becoming a mum to her son Archie just before turning 40. We talk about what it’s really like returning to work after having a baby, why flexible workplaces matter, and how leadership can look different after motherhood. Kylie also opens up about separation and life as a solo mum and why she...

Today's episode is one of the most raw and important conversations I’ve ever shared. Corrina Rawlinson is a rural mum from Esperance, WA — a businesswoman and straight shooter, bravely telling the truth about what motherhood and mental illness can look like behind closed doors. She shares growing up in small rural communities, carrying childhood trauma into adulthood, pushing through while keeping everyone else afloat — until she reached breaking point. Corrina speaks openly about being admitted to a psychiatric hospital and what it took to come back from the darkest place. This is a conversation about survival and hope — proof th...

Rachael Kirby’s version of motherhood looks nothing like it did a year ago. After growing up in rural central NSW and meeting her husband in the shearing sheds out west, she’s now raising three young kids (with a fourth on the way) while living full-time in a caravan on the shearing circuit. Her husband is a shearer, Rach is a shearer’s cook, and together they juggle work, marriage, parenting and life in the bush—side by side, every day. This isn’t just a story about life on the road, but about burnout, bravery, and choosing time over...

Today's episode is a story of love, unimaginable loss, betrayal, and deep, hard-won hope. Belinda Viver’s daughter Adelaide tapped me on the shoulder at a Motherland event last year and said, “You need to speak to my mum.” She was right. Belinda grew up on the land, built a full life with her husband Jack, and raised three daughters until everything changed in July 2020, when Jack died suddenly. What followed was a cascade of heartbreak: multiple family losses, shock, grief, and a betrayal that turned her world upside down and forced her to question everything she thought she knew...

Debbie Dowden arrived in Australia by boat when she was just 3 years old. Her family were ‘10 pound poms’ in search of a sunnier life in Australia. Little did she know that life would see her raising 4 children 600kms from Perth in Outback Western Australia. Debbie was working as a theory instructor at a flight school when she decided that she actually wanted to fly the planes, not just teach people about them. It was here that she met her husband Ash- and she approached her relationship with Ash the same way she did with learning to fly, getting out of h...

Weeks before Sonja Chrystal was born, her father was in a farming accident and became a paraplegic. Months after she was born, her mother packed her bags and left her paralysed husband and two little girls, and never returned. Her dad and her grandparents raised Sonja and her sister on a cropping and grazing property in the central west of NSW before Sonja found herself living and working in Sydney as a graphic designer. It was there that she met her fiance Jeremy, and the father of her son, Herbie, who just turned one. After her dad passed away...

When I say the name Liz Ellis, you probably think one of three things:

What you probably don’t think of is Liz Ellis the farmer. Liz, her husband of 25 years, Matthew, and their two children live on a farm in between Lismore, Ballina and Byron Bay growing beef cattle. Liz and Matthew bought the land 14 years ago when their professional sporting careers came to an end, Matth...

Phoebe White has had a lot of titles and lived in a lot of places in her 35 years. She’s been a PE Teacher in Sydney. A Fashion stylist in London. A High-profile real estate agent in Miami. But it’s the two she’s been given in the past eight years that light up her life, and have brought her home. The first is being a mum to her two daughters Camilla and Olympia, and the second, is being the custodian of a Mountain near her family’s property outside of Scone, NSW. Phoebe’s family have been farmers fo...

At 56, Louise Taheny has lived a very big life. The twists and turns and setbacks have truly made her who she is today; a very remarkable woman, as you’re about to hear. Louise was born and raised in regional South Australia, and met her husband John, a farmer, in her early 20s. They knew they wanted a big family. First came Edwina, then Tom, Lucy, Will and then, their youngest, Hugo. After five children in six years, when Hugo was born, Louise knew instantly that things weren’t the same as her other babies. A few days after his...