Spirit of the Bush photography winners announced

Posted on 14 June 202323 June 2023

Australia’s most trusted rural charity has announced the winners of its fourth annual Spirit of the Bush photography competition.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters congratulated the photographers behind the 12 winning photos.

“Each photo tells a compelling story, whether it be of a successful crop, sunset silhouette or tender moment between working dog and owner,” Mr Warlters said.

“A powerful love of livestock and the land really shines through in this year’s pictures.”

“Our annual competition always attracts hundreds of entries. Thank you to all those who sent their photos in to be judged and congratulations to our winners.”

The 12 photos will be used to create a stunning 2024 calendar.

“Any profits from the calendar’s sale are directed back into Rural Aid’s range of award-winning programs,” Mr Warlters said.

“Rural Aid is proud to stand with our mates in the bush when they need it, whether that’s through a hay delivery, pre-paid visa card, or free counselling.”

“I’d encourage anyone with an appreciation of the bush to consider purchasing one of these beautiful calendars.”

The calendars are available for pre-order now through the website:  https://shop.ruralaid.org.au/shop-calendar/

The winners of the 2023 Spirit of the Bush competition are: 

First name	Last name	Closest town	State
Anne	Bell	Esperance	WA
Debbie	Cristinelli	Tambellup	WA*
Jane	Taylor	Carnarvon	WA
Shannon	Swanton	Manilla	NSW
Paula	McIver	Barraba	NSW*
Lauren	Bell	Monogorilby	QLD
Kathryn	Ecroyd	St George	QLD
Neil	Kendall	Brisbane	QLD^
Dave	Tan	Allora	QLD
Amie	Hosking	Moura	QLD

(*) These photographers each have two winning photos in this year’s calendar

(^)  This photo was taken at the Dayboro Rodeo

Mr Warlters also congratulated the two-time winners of the Spirit of the Bush competition.

“We’ve had a few talented photographers who have chalked up their second Spirit of the Bush win,” Mr Warlters said.

“It’s fantastic to see this competition supported by such a dedicated community, year in, year out,” Mr Warlters finished.

More than 300 entries were submitted to this year’s competition.

About Rural Aid 
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au 

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757.  

Gina Rinehart announced as Rural Aid Patron

Posted on 6 June 20236 June 2023

Australian mining and agriculture icon Gina Rinehart has continued to throw her support behind Rural Aid, Australia’s most trusted rural charity, accepting an invitation to become Rural Aid’s patron.

Rural Aid was founded in the 2015 drought and has forged a reputation for its important work in supporting farming families before, during and after disasters and is well-known nationally for its Buy A Bale campaign.

Chief Executive Officer John Warlters said Rural Aid has given a hand-up to thousands of farming families impacted by drought, bushfires and floods.

Such has been the enormous scale and impact of disaster events since its inception, Rural Aid has raised and distributed more than $100 million of assistance to families across the country.

“We are honoured to have Mrs Rinehart as Rural Aid’s patron and to have her advocating in support of and championing the untiring work that Rural Aid does to enable farming families impacted by disasters receive assistance rapidly wherever they are – be it financial, fodder for livestock, drinking water or a chat with one of Rural Aid’s professionally accredited counsellors,” Mr Warlters said.

Mrs Rinehart has deep ties to agriculture that go back generations. Her family is one of the longest continuing pastoral families in Australia – starting in the Pilbara region of West Australia in the 1860s, and before that on farms closer to Perth. Today that pastoral connection continues with S Kidman and Co, founded in 1899 and Hancock Agriculture with the famous 2GR brand founded in 2017 which breeds the world’s best Full Blood Wagyu.

“We are appreciative of Mrs Rinehart’s ongoing support and very much look forward to our valued friendship continuing into the future,” Mr Warlters said.

Beyond her agricultural interests, Mrs Rinehart is a leading figure in Australia’s Olympic efforts. She is patron of four of the nation’s Olympic teams and was recently made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to the mining sector, to the community through philanthropic initiatives, and to sport as a patron. She is known to many as Australia’s most successful business person, investing in Australia and employing thousands of people across the country. 

“Having grown up on stations which I loved very much, stations and farms have and always will be close to my heart. Rural Aid as an organisation that ‘stands with our mates in the bush’ during their hard times, and it does get tough in the bush, with floods, fires and severe drought, in addition to the usual dangers of snakes, spiders and in some northern areas, crocodiles too,” Mrs Rinehart said.

“As patron of Rural Aid, I encourage all Australians to throw their support behind its ongoing efforts in ensuring that our food producers – our farmers- are able to get back on their feet quickly when drought, flood or bushfire hits them.”

Mrs Rinehart said the mining and agricultural industries were the backbone of our country. They not only provide thousands and thousands of jobs, but they present billions of dollars of taxes for governments to build such things as hospitals, kindergartens and roads and pay for our much needed police, security and defence forces.

“Preserving the agricultural and mining industry’s future is in the interests of not only all the businesses that the primary industries support, but every Australian. It is critical that our governments realise these essential industries must keep cost competitive internationally, to be able to continue to earn export income, and thrive, and not burden them with regulations and other onerous government burdens” Mrs Rinehart said. 

About Rural Aid 
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au 

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757.  

Volunteers wade through water to help Kerang farmers 

Posted on 30 May 202330 May 2023

Australia’s most trusted rural charity has just wrapped up a week of flood recovery works in Kerang, Victoria.  

22 Rural Aid volunteers worked on six flood-affected farms last week.  

Cattle farmer Ian Kidman was evacuated off his property and prevented from returning for six weeks during last year’s flood.   

“We had to sell our breeding stock…and now we’ve only got the remnants of what we did have.” 

The volunteers waded through stagnant water to get the fencing jobs done across the district.  

Six months on from the flood, farmers are still pulling fish carcasses, branches and rubbish off their fences.  

Many farmers had more than a metre of water over their properties, resulting in stock, crop and infrastructure losses.  

“Having some Rural Aid volunteers here to clear some of the debris off the fence and to straighten that fence up will be a huge difference for us,” Kerang farmer Dale Trevorrow said.   

Rural Aid Works Coordinator Lindsay Drust said farmers are still feeling the impacts of the late 2022 flood event.  

“With the amount of work that is required [to fix the fences], local contractors just can’t keep up with it. So Rural Aid volunteers are here doing predominantly fencing on six different farms.” 

Most of the dedicated volunteers travelled hundreds of kilometres to Kerang, with some coming as far as Queensland for the Farm Recovery Event.  

“There’s a lot of satisfaction for the volunteers to help people who are struggling,” Lindsay said.  

Volunteer Peter Holland was one of the Rural Aid volunteers who helped Ian fix his fencing.  

“He’s had some cows getting out onto the highway which has been causing a problem, so we’ve been fixing that fence up, repairing and re-tensioning and trying to make the property secure again,” Peter said.  

Ian said, “It can get quite expensive if your cattle get out on the highway, so we’re doing our best to get that patched up, thankfully. They’re doing a good job.” 

The week officially began on Monday, 22 May with volunteers staying at the Kerang Turf Club.  

Catering was provided by a number of local community groups and Rural Aid.  

Supplies were sourced from local Kerang businesses.  

About Rural Aid 
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au 

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757.  

Rural Aid Long Lunch raises $175K for farmers

Posted on 3 April 20233 April 2023

Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, has raised more than $175,000 for farming families at its second annual Long Lunch.  

More than 340 guests attended the Howard Smith Wharves event on Friday 31 March.   

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters thanked the agribusiness community for their attendance and steadfast support.  

A significant milestone donation was also celebrated at the Long Lunch.  

Woolworths Group surpassed $10 million in donations to Rural Aid.   

“Thanks to the unwavering support of Woolworths Group, Rural Aid has been able to respond to more than 50,000 requests for help from farmers battling droughts, bushfires, plagues and floods,” Mr Warlters said.  

“It’s a significant number of farmers that we’ve been able to assist over the past eight years; it’s equivalent to every person in Dubbo receiving some form of assistance, whether it be hay, pre-paid VISA cards or free counselling, all thanks to Woolworths Group’s support.”  

Brad Banducci, Woolworths Group CEO said, “Our partnership with Rural Aid began through the grassroots support from our supermarkets to their local communities doing it tough during the drought. It has grown to become an important part of our national commitment at Woolworths Group to stand by regional Australia during times of natural disasters and delivering on our purpose of creating better experience together for a better tomorrow. 

“I’d like to thank our team and also our customers for their generous support over the past few years. We’re pleased that together with Rural Aid we have been able to support so many communities impacted in challenging times across the country.” 

Among the generous donations made at the Long Lunch event was a $60,000 donation from S.Kidman & Co, presented on behalf of Chairman Gina Rinehart by Kidman board member Loretta Leung and acting chief executive officer Adam Giles.  

Rural Aid also received a $60,000 donation from James Power, the owner of the famous Norman Hotel, which celebrated its own Long Lunch the day prior.  

“Rural Aid is grateful for their support, and especially thanks Mrs Rinehart, Ms Leung and Mr Power,” Mr Warlters said.

A number of political leaders also attended the Long Lunch event.   

“It was our pleasure to welcome the National Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management Minister, Senator Murray Watt, alongside Queensland’s Agriculture Minister Mark Furner and opposition Agriculture spokesperson, Tony Perrett,” Mr Warlters said.   

“Their commitment to the ag industry is clear, and we thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules to learn more about the work Rural Aid does,” Mr Warlters said. 

About Rural Aid
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757. 

Rural Aid’s popular photography competition returns

Posted on 27 March 202327 March 2023

Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, has today opened its fourth annual Spirit of the Bush photography competition.  

The winning twelve photographs will be used in Rural Aid’s stunning 2024 calendar.  

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said he was excited to see what the bush’s talented photographers had captured this year.  

“The photographs that are submitted are always breathtakingly raw, real, and reflect the highs and lows of life on the land,” Mr Warlters said.  

“Last year, we received more than 1100 entries from across the country, making it very hard to whittle down to just 12 winners.” 

“I hope to see dozens of photos of successful crops, happy working dogs and fat cattle.” 

“On the flipside, the pictures of flooded creeks and empty paddocks tell a sobering, but equally important, story.” 

“I’d encourage anyone with a love, and eye, for the bush, to send their photos in,” Mr Warlters finished.  

Photographers are encouraged to submit their photos to the themes of; Family, Community, Mates, Faces, Eyes, Tough, Golden Hour (Sunrise/Sunset), or All Things Rural.  

Winners will be awarded a feature in the 2024 calendar, and a $250 pre-paid VISA card.   

The competition closes 29 May, 2023. 

To enter the competition, entrants must submit a high-resolution, landscape image via Instagram or Facebook, with the hashtag #SOTB2023 and tag @ruralaid in the picture, or upload their photo through the Woobox link: www.ruralaid.org.au/spirit-of-the-bush  

Rural Aid’s 2024 calendar will be available for purchase later this year. 

Proceeds will directly support Rural Aid’s range of programs that help farmers and their families.   

The competition’s Terms and Conditions can be found at www.ruralaid.org.au/spirit-of-the-bush 

About Rural Aid
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757.