From little things, big things grow
Host: Wooroona Grazing Co.
Written by Claire Dunne – Owner, Wooroona Grazing Co.
“A snapshot of the life of an amateur magazine publisher”
Another early morning start at the office.
So if I told you that I recently launched a women’s magazine, from middle-of-nowhere Queensland, what would you think? Are you thinking scenes of Mcleod’s Daughters meets Cosmo magazine? Lunching while interviewing the who’s who of social scenes? Sex and the City at the stockyard?
Unfortunately (or fortunately) those scenes won’t be in my typical week as a magazine publisher.
The Summer edition of Graziher, the Autumn edition of Graziher (available here).
To catch you up to speed . . .
The magazine Graziher (pronounced “Grazier”) doesn’t touch on the glamour and glitz side of publishing – it takes an honest approach into the diverse lives of country women.
It’s not a tabloid or a gossip magazine, but a collection of real stories from women who live and work on the land. They could be your mother, your sister or aunt. A neighbour, a family friend, a legend of the bush – or it could be you. Two editions have been published – the Summer issue sold out and the Autumn edition is currently out now, available at selected newsagents or to be purchased online.
Four years ago I deferred my university studies to return home to the main family cattle property, Wooroona. I needed a break, some bush solitude, and planned to take six months to decide on a new direction. Six months became four years and somewhere along the track my plans changed with the realisation I loved working with my family in their beef business. Late last year I decided to venture into blogging about the different rural women I had come into contact with and since then has grown into the Graziher magazine.
Me (Claire Dunne) working on clearing regrowth on a D8.
The name Graziher came about because that’s what I identified with being, a female grazier. It started with a blog, then I had the idea of a casual magazine, then I was rounding up women to help write it, and all of a sudden it turned into a big official magazine! It’s been a steep learning process because I have no background in magazine creation, however I have had a lot of support from other women which has been an amazing experience.
Rural women are so diverse and there’s nothing that really covers each individual area that they work or live in. There are women who run stations and farms, women who run their homesteads, the professionals in the industry, jillaroos, managers, teachers, doctors, nurses, housekeepers, governesses etc., and the list goes on.
Two of the inspiring women I have met and written about on the blog. From left: Amanda Salisbury aka Bush Babe of Oz, Alice Greenup, and myself.
The women who I write about, interview, and ask to contribute are the women I aspire to be like. I’m so far off reaching what they do so it’s awe-inspiring chatting to them and writing about them. Everyone wears hats, literally and figuratively. It’s the hats that these country and regional women wear that I love to know about. How are you raising a family yet still running a station? How did you just start that business when you live five hours from a town?
There are so many stories that I love, but my favourite is the current Graziher of the autumn magazine – Nikki Schmidt. It’s the story of how her and her partner Rupert met.
Packaging the Autumn pre-orders. A big job.
Myself and the Graziher team are always on the lookout for stories and ideas. We are looking for women who run stations and properties, or who farm; women who are involved in the ag industry; teachers, nurses, and governesses – it’s a never ending list. Everyone has a story to tell, and Graziher wants to help tell them. You can get in contact via the Graziher website: www.graziher.com.au or email me at dunenclaire@live.com.au
We have special deal for all Central Station readers!
Buy an annual subscription for someone you know who is a country girl at heart – whether they live on the land or have moved away. Type CENTRALSTATION into the discount box at the checkout and apply for $10 off.
Below is a short excerpt from our Autumn Graziher gal Nikki Schmidt. The full story can be found in the Autumn edition of Graziher, availble in selected stockists (list on the website) or can be purchased online www.graziher.com.au
Blog: https://graziher.wordpress.com
Website: https://www.graziher.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graziher/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graziher/
WOMEN OF THE WEST – NIKKI SCHMIDT
“I learned that in the bush you work really hard, but when you finish work, there is so much to do, so much freedom”
In a quiet corner of western Queensland, a small family of four are making their way down to the Paroo River for breakfast cooked over a campfire. The drought has seen the grass consumed and depleted and the sprawling station is nearly destocked. The kangaroos are dying and the feral goats are moving on. Although they are in the thick of drought, Nikki and Rupert Schmidt wouldn’t be anywhere else. They’ve worked for this lifestyle to raise a family and will build the bones of their empire on the desert country of “Mooning Station”.
Our featured Graziher for Autumn is Nikki Schmidt. She originates from Brisbane, Queensland and now calls “Mooning Station”, Eulo, western Queensland home. Herself and partner Rupert are miners, entrepreneurs, and beef producers who entered the cattle industry through years of hard work and determination.
The pair are a driven team that set goals and achieve them. Their move onto the station was over a ten year process of hard work and business driven decisions that saw both Nikki and Rupert working in mines in Central Queensland. Nikki is more than equipped to run the station by herself, which she does often when Rupert is away with his earth moving business. Their two girls are their life and they are making memories for their family of four.
Nikki is our Graziher cover girl and her story can be read in the Autumn magazine.