Overview
- 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Finalist Becky Dickinson is addressing Australia’s rural veterinary workforce shortage through Veterinary Support Services (VSS), providing on-the-road mentoring, support and training to early-career livestock vets working in regional areas.
- Drawing on her own experiences with injury, mental health challenges and career re-entry, Becky developed an innovative support model that helps graduate livestock vets build confidence, improve retention and strengthen veterinary services in rural communities.
- Becky has already secured a $1.5 million grant to deliver the Victorian Livestock Veterinary Scholarship Program, supporting veterinary graduates across Victoria, and plans to use her Rural Women’s Award bursary to scale her model nationally to support the future of Australia’s livestock industry.
There’s something about driving with another person in a car that quickly accelerates conversation. There’s an intimacy that moves forward as quickly as the car does – the travellers emerging at their destination somewhat changed.
This is something 2026 Rural Women’s Award Finaliast Becky Dickinson finds. The experienced rural livestock vet offers one-on-one on the road mentoring, support and training for young veterinary graduates working in country Victoria. The 44 year old is passionate about securing the next generation of cattle and horse vets.
Becky’s life in Gippsland’s Warragul is a far cry from her upbringing in England. Comparing the British and Australian dairy industries in her final year of study at the Royal Veterinary College in London, Becky spent a month in rural Victoria.
“Agriculture in the UK felt bleak as it was just recovering from Foot and Mouth disease when I went through university,” Becky explains.
Australia was a breath of fresh air. Becky persuaded her then boyfriend – now husband – Stuart to emigrate to Victoria after graduation in 2006. The pair settled at Warragul, an hour south east from Melbourne, with the then 26-year-old Becky securing a job at a local practice.
“I was so lucky with my first job. I had the opportunity to travel on the road with some of the large animal vets. It was so supportive,” she says. “I benefited so much from learning that way.”
After three years Becky moved to the Western District for a pilot program with Melbourne University, training as a dairy cattle resident. The new, large clinic’s busy caseload highlighted the veterinary workforce shortages experienced across Australia, especially in regional areas.
“Due to workforce shortages, early-career vets were supervised much less frequently than my previous clinic, which added to their stress and ability to do their job. I quickly realised how incredibly lucky my first experience in Gippsland had been.”
Becky learned this was a common occurrence for many graduate vets across Australia.
“Small animal vets work within clinics and have access to support from more experienced vets and vet nurses. Livestock and large animal vets are often on the road, sometimes without phone service, hours away from their clinic. It can be incredibly isolating and challenging.”
Six months into her residency program, Becky had a career-changing shoulder injury. Surgery and more than 18-months rehabilitation followed.
“I went through a very low point mentally and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.”
After finishing Becky’s residency, the Dickinsons moved back to Warragul where they welcomed their first child, James. Motherhood came with its own challenges as Becky struggled to find livestock veterinary work around childcare. After welcoming two more sons – Leo and Tom – Becky’s mental health rapidly deteriorated in 2020.
“I was in and out of various mental health facilities for two years. I was really struggling not being a vet, which was such an enormous part of my identity.”
When Becky found herself ready to re-enter the workforce, her time off meant she struggled to find a job.
“Due to my career-break, I was frequently met with a “no” by many rural clinics.”
Becky says the security of Australia’s food systems, public health and environment is dependent on livestock vets – with less than 3,500 across the nation.
“Supporting and retaining vets in rural areas is vital. Not just for animal health and welfare but also for our national biosecurity, disease response and food security for Australia.”
Becky started to think about what freshly graduated livestock vets needed most – proactive support. She started volunteering at a local clinic, going on the road with young vets to help with their on-farm consults.
“It was incredibly rewarding. And the feedback from those grads to their bosses, and from the farmers directly was so positive. The efficiency and the productivity of the clinic increased.”
Becky founded Veterinary Support Services (VSS) in 2022. Soon after, the Cattle Compensation Committee contacted her, asking how they could invest in what she was doing.
“They were seeing this aging population of livestock vets and were worried what it meant for agriculture. They could see we don’t have enough young vets staying in rural areas.”
Becky secured a $1.5 million grant to deliver a two-year graduate training program called the Victorian Livestock Veterinary Scholarship (VLVS) Program, supporting eight veterinary graduates across eight clinics across Victoria.
“This should be available for every single graduate across the whole country,” she says.
Now, Becky has been awarded the state winner for the 2026 Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, which acknowledges and celebrates the vital role women play in rural and regional businesses, industries and communities.
Becky will use her $15,000 grant to build formal business skills while looking to sustainably upscale VSS across the nation.
“I’m so excited about the opportunity to connect with the 300 strong AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award alumni,” she says. “It will be amazing to build my networks and an incredible opportunity to accelerate my personal and professional growth.”
