Rural women’s advocate and founder of Motherland, Stephanie Trethewey, has been named the 2024 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.
Stephanie Trethewey experienced the crippling isolation of raising children without support after moving from Melbourne to a beef farm in Tasmania’s Central North with her husband and first baby.
In 2019, the former TV journalist set up national charity, Motherland, to connect mothers raising children on the land, along with her podcast, Motherland Australia.
Then in 2021, Stephanie created Australia’s first online rural mother group program – Motherland Village. The six-week online program matches rural mums to their own small support group to relieve isolation and improve wellbeing. In less than two years, Stephanie’s online program has 20 virtual villages and is supporting over 200 rural women.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff congratulated Stephanie on being named the 2024 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.
“Stephanie’s inspirational and innovative work has helped bring rural mums all over the country together, and I thank her for being such a fierce advocate for farming families,” Premier Rockliff said.
“I know Stephanie will continue to be a great advocate for our regional communities and for Tasmania.
Premier Rockliff also congratulated Tasmanian Senior Australian Of The Year Reverand Jim Colville, Tasmanian Young Australian Of The Year Naarah, and Tasmanian Australia’s Local Hero Clair Harris
“Each of these recipients is making important contributions to the Tasmanian community, and I commend them for this important work,” Premier Rockliff said.
Tasmania’s four recipients – Stephanie, Jim, Naarah and Clair – will represent Tasmania at the 2024 Australian of the Year Awards to be announced in Canberra on 25 January 2024.
Other category recipients:
Tasmanian Senior Australian Of The Year, Founder of Colony 47, Reverand Jim Colville:
When Jim Colville opened the doors of Colony 47 in 1973, Hobart was a different place with no gay right, access to contraception was difficult and people were rejected for being different.
Fifty years on, not for proft Colony 47, continues to deliver programs for Tasmanians in need, with a particular focus on housing. It’s helped more than 50,000 households with bond or rental assistance, more than 7000 young people with early intervention support, and more than 17,500 young people with education and employment.
Tasmanian Young Australian Of The Year, Actor, musician and Indigenous activist, Naarah:
A Gija woman raised in Hobart, Naarah is making a positive impact through her acting and music.
Naarah uses Instagram and Tik Tok to spark important conversations about First National identity, culture and representation. Naarah wants children to grow up seeing an entertainment industry full of diversity.
Tasmanian Australia’s Local Hero, Founder of Tassie Mums, Clair Harris:
Clair Harris started Tassie Mums at her kitchen table in Hobart in 2018 to help families with essentials; her charity now assists more than 1,800 children each year with clothing bundles, nappy packs, activity packs, prams and car seats.
Tassie Mums supplies items to 70 social service organisations across the state working with refugees, families escaping domestic violence or affected by mental health issues and financial stress.
