Sharon Starick has spent more than two decades helping shape Australian agriculture and natural resource management.
Today, she is Chair of the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations (CRRDC) and Chair of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). She is also the 2003 South Australian winner of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, an experience she credits with raising her profile, building her confidence and encouraging her to step into opportunities where she could make a meaningful contribution.
“It lifted my profile at a time when there weren’t many women in these roles,” Sharon said. “It gave me the courage to put my hand up, and it opened my eyes to where I could contribute meaningfully.”
When Sharon received the Award, she was Executive Officer for three soil conservation boards and was beginning to find her voice on committees shaping agricultural sustainability, natural resource management and water policy, particularly across the Murray-Darling Basin.
Her Award project took her on a study tour to explore how communities along the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin could play a greater role in natural resource management. The tour connected Sharon with people across the Basin and introduced her to a wide range of perspectives on complex policy decisions, including water sharing.
“The message was clear. Communities want a seat at the table. They have ideas, and they want to contribute,” she said. “It reinforced how critical inclusive decision-making is.”
The study tour did not uncover one simple solution. Instead, it helped Sharon better understand the complexity of natural resource management and the economic and social effects of the decisions involved. That experience encouraged her to contribute more deeply at local, state and national levels.
A career of service and leadership
Since receiving the Award in 2003, Sharon has navigated succession on the family farm and broadened her contribution across agriculture and natural resource management.
Sharon served as Chair of the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board, where she helped develop water-sharing plans with a strong focus on inclusive engagement.
She was also a director and later Chair of Animal Health Australia. Today, she is Chair of the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations and Chair of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, roles she describes as a privilege and an honour.
Each opportunity built on the foundations the Award helped Sharon establish. “I hope I’ve brought different perspectives to the boards I’ve served on, and I’ve certainly learned a lot along the way,” she said.
Sharon’s original project also influenced her own community and farming business. It encouraged a broader worldview and a more strategic approach. “Sometimes it’s easy to focus just on the here and now, but the Award helped us step back and think bigger,” she said.
That ripple effect can still be seen in the way Sharon leads collaboratively, inclusively and with purpose. “Whether I’m chairing a selection panel or developing a strategy, I try to make it easier for everyone to succeed,” she said. “Even small decisions, like timing interviews to suit parents, can make a real difference.”
A lasting impact
For Sharon, the Award continues to shape her journey. “It made people aware that I wanted to contribute, and that I had something to offer,” she said. “It opened doors, and in doing so, it allowed me to grow and develop.”
She is also proud of the wider contribution Award recipients are making across agriculture and rural and regional communities. “Some of the projects women are working on now are just incredible,” she said. “They’re tackling access to childcare, health and technology adoption, things that are transforming rural communities.”
As a mother of three daughters who now all work in agriculture, Sharon is optimistic about the future. “Twenty years ago, farming wasn’t always seen as a path forward. But now? It’s a dynamic, exciting sector, and we need all voices at the table to shape what’s next.”
“The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award can open doors for those women, just like it did for me, and that’s why I’ve tapped quite a few women on the shoulder over the years,” she said. “It’s so important to give others that same nudge I received.”
If you are working to create positive change in rural and regional Australia, consider putting your project forward and applying for the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.
Click here to apply for the 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
