Livestock team

2025 Livestock Team Celebration

PLC Armidale’s all-girls Livestock Team was celebrated in style on Saturday 24 May, as students, staff, families, and supporters came together for a special dinner recognising a remarkable 12 months of achievement, growth, and community contribution, including the ongoing success of the College Paddock to Plate project, which has seen a permaculture greenhouse and vegetable beds established by students from Years 7 to 10 near the livestock yards during the first semester. The evening was catered for by Food Tech teacher (and professional chef) Aaron Creamer and his team of hospitality students.

The event also marked an inspiring milestone: the Livestock Team’s efforts in raising almost $100,000 for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, with the Sydney Royal Charity Steer Auction bringing the total to $97,000 raised to date and the team invited to show the Schute Bell Charity Steer for an unprecedented fifth year in a row.

Guest speaker The Hon. Nichole Overall MLC—award-winning writer, broadcaster, and the first woman to represent Monaro in NSW Parliament in 165 years—delivered a powerful message:

“What’s not to love about a team of young regional women, and those who support them, raising almost $100,000 for a life-changing cause?”

Ms Overall praised the girls’ "resilience, innovation, and community spirit," describing them as future leaders in agriculture:

“You’re committed to making a difference in rural and regional communities," she said.

"How do we support more women into agriculture, into leadership roles, even pathways into politics? We do it by mentoring, acknowledging, and backing each other; We lead by example; We follow our passions and don’t let anyone talk us down or tell us we can’t. 

"We do it by believing in ourselves, even when it’s hard, or we’re faced with adversity - and having lost a political election and coming back from that to take a seat in Parliament once more, I very much speak from personal experience in that regard. The lesson is that it’s as simple - and as hard - as that."

The annual event also acknowledged the team’s success across several major competitions, including the NSW School Merino Wether Challenge and the Northern Schools Prime Lamb Competition. Students shared stories of the hands-on work involved in animal care, training, travel, and industry learning, showcasing not just their dedication to agriculture but also their leadership and teamwork.

Team Managers Briony Looker and Tim Light then announced two students were successful in applying to be part of the 2025 Junior Heifer Expo in South Australia - the nation's biggest youth agriculture event.

A highlight of the past year was the Dubbo trip for the Merino Wether Challenge, where the Year 10 Agriculture class cared for and prepared six wethers over six months, culminating in a multi-day event involving over 700 studentts where judges commended the teams consistency, preparation knowledge, and evident passion.

Equally impressive was PLC’s performance at the Northern Schools Prime Lamb Competition in Glen Innes, where students took out multiple ribbons: 1st place and Overall Champion Middleweight Pen of Lambs; 4th place Black Suffolk Cross (Middleweight); 5th place White Suffolk Cross (Heavyweight); 4th place Led Lamb category (Dougie the crowd favourite); A Year 9 student also received Highly Commended in the Young Judges category out of over 150 competitors.

As College Principal, Mrs. Nicola Taylor summed up the 26-year history of the team and the past year's highlights:

“These young women embody the values of PLC Armidale with compassion, grit, and a powerful sense of purpose. From little things, big things grow.”

Thank you to everyone who supported our silent auction  and donated prize:

• Stuart & Alex Blake and family

• The Webb family

• Balala Station

• PLCA Livestock Team

• Tim Light and Briony Looker

• Concepts of Armidale

• Burton’s Saddlery

Address by The Hon. Nichole Lorraine Overall, MLC, 

It’s a privilege to join you for this wonderful celebration of some amazing young women in agriculture and your extraordinary achievements.

What’s not to love about a team of young regional women, and those who support them, raising almost $100,000 for a life-changing cause?

That the PLC Armidale Livestock Team has accomplished this over the past four years is testament to your hard work and dedication - actively contributing and making a real difference, including when it comes to the work of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. 

Since 1998 Schute Bell Badgery Lumby has held an annual charity steer auction at the Royal Easter Show to raise funds for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI). This auction has grown and become a huge success.

This year alone, led by captain Macey and deputy Lily, preparing and leading the Schute Bell Badgery Lumby charity steer - - bred by Andrew and Angela Doering, and importantly, bought by David Kent; a significant investment of $18,000!

[Bred by Andrew and Angela Doering (Spring Creek Santa Gertrudis Stud) buyer, David Kent of Beaumont Beef at Kangaroo Valley.]

Poignantly, watched on by little “Heart Warrior”, Inayah, and her proud mum, Jay.  All this at the highest level of the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

2025 was my first ever attendance at the Royal Easter! Been present at many regional shows throughout the country; involved in activities directly related, from officially opening many of them, to being on the judging panels for the Young Woman competition, and mentoring young women from throughout my own region who have participated in that important event. And given how important a platform it is, it highlights just how significant the ongoing achievements of the Livestock Team in that highly public domain.

Along with celebrating your success, recognising your and professionalism and pride in your school as well as the program itself, tonight is also about looking to the strength, innovation, and spirit of women in agriculture more broadly.

The task asked of me was to talk about how women in ag “rule the world” - and I can say without hesitation that it’s not difficult to talk about that because it’s absolute truth. And all of you sitting here before me this evening are testament to that!

I grew up in the Riverina and spent a great deal of time on my grandparents farm at Hay. My intimate knowledge of cattle is essentially limited to my pop’s favourite stud bull - an enormous Murray Gray by the name of NuBold. However, the knowledge and expertise of so many of you in this room speaks for itself. As of figures released last year, women make up nearly one-third of Australia’s agricultural workforce, with around 90,000 employed in the sector. Women now also account for 60% of all university graduates in agriculture and environmental studies. These aren’t just numbers - they’re individual stories, journeys, and legacies. Different ages, backgrounds, life experiences - but all with something in common: a passion for ag, and through that, for our regional, rural and remote communities.

And you don’t necessarily even have to have come from the regions to share that passion.

Josephine Galcsik from Cessnock, didn’t grow up on a farm. But her strong interest led her to study Primary Industries, and in 2024 she was one of four female students to come equal first in the subject in the NSW HSC. She’s now studying Ag science and law.

Today, women in agriculture aren’t just working in the industry - they’re transforming it.

Amy Walker is an assistant manager at Breakfast Creek Station near Boorowa. On a 3,300-hectare mixed grazing property, Amy has helped roll out regenerative grazing, native revegetation, and data-driven decision-making. Her vision is about growing more sustainably for future generations.

From carbon accounting to water conservation, women like Amy are proving that productivity and environmental care can work hand-in-hand.

Let’s be clear though: while we’ve come a long way, barriers remain. Not unlike being a woman in politics. I’m the only woman to ever be elected as the Member for Monaro in its 165 year history. On being elected to the NSW Upper House - the Legislative Council - at the beginning of this year, of the 866 members to sit in that House since 1824, I’m only the 69th woman!

2025 also marks 100 years since the very first woman was elected to the NSW Parliament - Millicent Preston Stanley, elected as the Member for the Eastern Suburbs in 1925, working hard to advance the rights of women including the opportunity to run for office, not permitted until 1918.

In coming back to AG - despite the significant contributions of women, and particularly over more recent times, we hold just 19% of positions on agricultural industry governing bodies, and only 2 per cent of CEO roles.

Women like Juanita Hamparsum, a second-generation cotton farmer from the Liverpool Plains, manages her family’s enterprise and serves on the boards of Cotton Seed Distributors and Namoi Cotton.

How do we support more women into agriculture, into leadership roles, even pathways into politics? 

We do it by mentoring, acknowledging, and backing each other. 

We lead by example. 

We follow our passions and don’t let anyone talk us down or tell us we can’t. 

Or that it’s never been done before. 

If that’s the case, it should provide even more of an inspiration to step up.

We do it by believing in ourselves, even when it’s hard, or we’re faced with adversity - and having lost a political election and coming back from that to take a seat in Parliament once more, I very much speak from personal experience in that regard.

The lesson is that it’s as simple - and as hard - as that.

Our future is being shaped by strong, skilled, and savvy women.

Women in agriculture wear many hats - and every one of them matters. All of you would be involved in something outside of family, school, and work - be it as a volunteer, in a sports team, or Ladies in Livestock! It’s that kind of grassroots spirit that keeps our communities going, that encourages others and that forges our pathway forward, together.

Those who mentor and train  - you’re a direct part of that future - passing on knowledge, values, and encouragement to the next generations.

I applaud all of you in that, and welcome this public opportunity to do so.

We’re here tonight because the PLC Armidale Livestock Team is already leading by example. Your incredible, collective achievement of raising that incredible figure of almost $100,000 for life-saving cardiac research, speaks volumes.

You’ve travelled, trained, and triumphed at the Sydney Royal Easter Show - and been invited back for a fifth year in 2026.

That’s not just hard work - it’s work of the heart. It shows that young people, young women, when supported, can do extraordinary things. And you’ve done just that.

The message I would like to leave you with this evening is one of acknowledgement and congratulations as well as looking to the future.

It’s a heartfelt call for us all to welcome, and praise - and praise loudly - the resilience, innovation, and community spirit of women in agriculture, of women in, and for the regions.

We must continue to support our daughters, sisters, friends; our mums, and our mentors, in our pursuits and our desire to do more and aim higher.

We must lift each other up - not just tonight as we celebrate, but every day - whether it’s in the paddock, the boardroom, in school, or the livestock yard.

The future of agriculture is in strong hands, is being led by brave hearts - and many of those belong to women - it’s in your hands, and your hearts.

Thank you for your dedication, your spirit, and your commitment - not just to agriculture, but to making a difference - even more so in our regional, rural and remote communities.

I’m very thankful for the chance to join you for this celebration, to see for myself some of your efforts on display in this Showcase - and a big shout out also to PLC Armidale livestock Team managers Tim Light and Briony Looker for extending the kind invitation for me to join you tonight - and for  their powerhouse work and efforts, too.

Most of all, my thanks for this wonderful opportunity to be here with you, but also, importantly, to be inspired by you! Along with wholeheartedly believing in you and your futures, I thoroughly share the sentiment of your Insta hashtags:

WE LOVE AG  and WE LEAD LIVES OF SIGNIFICANCE.