Australia’s community for rural mums
You’re not alone out here
in the trenches
Motherland is the village every rural mum needs as you navigate all stages of parenting in the country.
- 310+ podcast episodes
- 35,000+ rural mums in the community
- 520+ mums through the village
- Support in every state
Our mission
No rural mum left behind.
Motherland is a national charity supporting rural mothers across Australia by reducing isolation and improving mental health outcomes through our programs and services. We connect rural mums to the support, understanding, and village they need, no matter where they live.
Steph TretheweyFounder & CEO · 2024 Australian of the Year, Tasmania · 2022 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National WinnerExplore Motherland
Helping rural mums find their village, wherever they live.
Through stories, community, events and support, we create more ways for rural mums to connect and find their village, no matter where they live.
The Podcast
300+ honest conversations with women who've been exactly where you are.
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Motherland Village
Join Australia's first online mothers' group program and be matched into your own small, personalised support group.
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Private Chat Room
Our private Facebook group is the warmest corner of the internet - and there's a spot in it for you.
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Events
Community events and conferences, bringing rural mums together, face to face.
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Scholarship Fund
Connection shouldn't depend on what you can afford - apply for a fully funded place in one of our six-week programs.
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Motherland Connect
Australia's digital resource hub for rural mums - connecting you to services that support your mental, emotional and physical health.
→Our impact
Seven years of connection, support and community for rural mums
What started at our founder Steph’s kitchen table on her farm in 2019 has grown into Australia’s leading organisation for rural mothers.
Every day, we listen to, work alongside and support rural mothers across the country – creating connection, strengthening community and improving access to services and support, wherever they live.
The Motherland Podcast
Real stories from rural mums, so no one feels alone.
300+ episodes. 1.4M+ downloads. Every week another extraordinary rural mum shares her story.
Episode 320
Beyond the Political Headlines: Sussan Ley’s Untold Story of Rural Life and Motherhood
You might know Sussan Ley as the first woman to lead the Liberal Party and serve as Australia’s federal opposition leader. But today, you’ll meet the little girl whose dad was a spy. The ten-year-old sent to boarding school in England, far from home in Nigeria. And the rebellious teenager who added an extra S to her name just to annoy her mum. In her first podcast interview since leaving politics after 25 years in Parliament, Sussan joins me for an honest conversation about the life before politics, and the woman she is today. Her love of flying took her to outback Queensland, where she met her future husband in a shearing shed. She became a mum of three, studied economics while raising her children, and experienced years on the family farm she describes as both the best and worst of her life. This isn't about politics. It's about motherhood, rural life, sacrifice, resilience, and finding your way through life's ups and downs. Sussan shares the heartbreak of her marriage ending, losing her own mum, and finding her feet after leaving the leadership. There’s laughter, reflection, and a solo bus trip across America along the way. This is her story.
Listen to her story
Episode 319
Jen McCutcheon on Losing Her Husband Suddenly, Raising Two Little Girls & Facing Farm Life Alone
Jen McCutcheon has spent her career telling other people’s stories. But today, she’s sharing her own. An ABC sports journalist, Jen swapped the bright lights of Sydney for a property near Gilgandra in NSW, after falling in love with Andrew, a teacher and farmer with his heart firmly planted in the bush. Together, they renovated a home, welcomed two little girls and built the life they’d dreamed of. Then, on Valentine’s Day last year, Andrew made Jen her morning coffee, headed off to work and never came home. He was just 36. Suddenly, Jen was navigating unimaginable grief, raising two young daughters and facing the responsibilities of a farm she’d never expected to run alone. In this deeply moving conversation, Jen shares the love story that brought her to the country, the community that held her when her world fell apart, and the painful decision to leave the farm where so many of their memories lived. This is Jen’s story.
Listen to her story
Episode 318
Sarah Sivyer on Choosing Solo Motherhood, Building a Cracking Egg Business & Battling Burnout
Sarah Sivyer is a chemical engineer, farmer and businesswoman who's never been afraid to forge her own path. After studying at Oxford and working for BHP and Rabobank, she returned home to the Hunter Valley in NSW to launch her own egg business. But when Mr Right didn't come along, Sarah decided to pursue another lifelong dream: becoming a mum on her own. Raising her daughter Grace, running a demanding business, grieving the loss of her dad and helping care for her mum with Alzheimer's took an enormous toll. After almost a decade building her business, Sarah was completely burnt out. She made the difficult decision to sell, and felt overwhelming relief. Today, Sarah shares the highs and lows of solo motherhood, the pressure of trying to do it all, and why walking away from the business she'd poured her heart into finally gave her space to enjoy the life she'd worked so hard to create.
Listen to her story
Episode 317
Kerrie Paisley Was 26 Weeks Pregnant When She Started Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
At 33, Kerrie Paisley was pregnant again after the heartbreak of pregnancy loss. Then a lump in her breast changed everything. At 22 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. By 26 weeks, she was undergoing chemotherapy, with a little boy at home, a baby on the way, and one overwhelming thought: she needed to be here for them both. Living on a cattle property near Lismore, NSW, Kerrie has faced enormous challenges, from traumatic birth and pregnancy loss to chronic illness and cancer, often having to fight for answers along the way. In this powerful episode, she opens up about the toll of treatment, motherhood guilt, and learning to trust her body again. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Kerrie's story is an important reminder to know your body, trust your instincts and advocate for your health.
Listen to her story
Episode 316
Mum of Four & Fitness Entrepreneur Joy McClymont on Parenting Teens, Confidence & Perimenopause
Finding your place in a farming family isn't always easy, especially when you're raising children. Joy McClymont knows that feeling well. Joy lives on a sheep and cattle property west of Longreach, where she and her husband have raised four children. Before motherhood, Joy had travelled the world, competed in an Ironman World Championship and worked as a teacher. But moving onto her husband's family farm challenged her confidence. Between babies, distance education, drought and farm work, Joy built something of her own: Off the Track Training, an online fitness business supporting rural women. Almost 17 years later, with her eldest at university, three children at boarding school and the challenges of midlife, Joy is preparing to close that chapter. Today, Joy shares the highs and lows of raising four kids in outback Queensland, finding her place on the farm, navigating perimenopause and learning when to put herself first.
Listen to her story
Episode 315
Mum of Four Sara Grant on Life After Stillbirth, Infant Loss and Finding Hope Again
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and October 15 marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Sara Grant is a mum of four, but the rest of the world only sees her as a mum of two. Her first baby, Jesse, was stillborn after a devastating diagnosis at their 20-week scan. The following year, she welcomed her daughter Holley, and while living remotely in Mount Isa, found an important sense of connection through a local mothers’ group. Then in 2008, after an otherwise healthy pregnancy, her daughter Bo died just five hours after birth. Two years later, Sara and her husband welcomed their daughter Belle. Today, Holley is 20 and Belle is 16. Jesse and Bo remain very much part of their family. For the past six years, Sara has worked with Red Nose, supporting other bereaved parents, including families in rural Australia. Today, Sara shares her story of loss, grief, motherhood and finding her village. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also full of hope.
Listen to her storyMotherland Patron
Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
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No rural mum left behind.
Whether you're here to find connection, access support, or help us reach the next rural mum who needs us – there's a place for you at Motherland.