When Veronika Ross suffered an acquired brain injury she found herself having to relearn basic skills, was deemed unemployable and struggled with low self esteem. Despite these challenges Veronika took a snake handling course and discovered a love and aptitude for dealing with snakes but also for educating people on all things snake related.
Now, far from being unemployable Veronika is busy answering copperhead emergencies, rehabilitating injured tiger snakes, and dispelling myths about snakes at her reptile displays throughout Tasmania.
Dr Lila Landowski has come a long way from her childhood in public housing with immigrant parents, fearful of their new country. She's now a leading neuroscientist and teacher in the field of stroke, an advocate for public education and a keen fisherwoman.
Amanda runs a cattle farm and supermarket in rural Tasmania but the rest of her life is devoted to excelling at the sport of woodchopping. She’s won numerous world titles, captained the Australian women’s team, raised a family of woodchoppers and has no plans to lay down her axe anytime soon.
Jocelyn Flint is living the dream.
She delivers the post on the remote North West Coast of Tasmania and spends her days off on horseback, adventuring across one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Carol has been directly impacted by forced adoption twice in her lifetime - the first time as a young unwed mother pressured to give up her newborn baby, the second as a middle aged woman discovering that she herself was adopted under similar circumstances.
Because of these traumatic events much of Carol’s life has been defined by her search for answers, for family and for a sense of self.
Stratie is a master fibre-artist whose life of adventure has been at the vanguard of cultural change in Australia. As a young mother she survived family violence, going on to relish independence, education and the freedom of the counterculture movement.
Now in the splendid isolation of Zeehan Stratie and her true love Rob share a garden of earthly delights and home full of things made by hand.
Freya Downie is the remarkable young woman behind the business, "Freya’s Delights", which she started at the age of 12.
Whether it's making her own caramel sauce, or playing soccer representing the state of Tasmania, she is someone who knows all about putting the work in to get life's rewards.
Madeleine Habib has spent her life in remote and sometimes dangerous situations, as she uses her skills as a captain to do work that many others wouldn’t dare to.
She is not at all afraid to stand up for what she believes in and as one of the few female Master Mariners in Australia, she is determined to use her incredible knowledge for the good of the world.
Tasmanian Aboriginal women have protected and practiced the tradition of ‘Kanalaritja’ (shell necklace) for thousands of generations. Artist & curator, Lola Greeno has achieved international acclaim for her necklaces and is an inspiration to her community. It is now her responsibility as an elder within her family to ensure that this legacy continues.
This female art form is so much more than a necklace, it represents the survival and perseverance of Aboriginal women in the face of colonization. It is now her time to continue the unbroken string, passing down sacred knowledge to her granddaughters.
Julia Drouhin is a performance artist with an unusual way of hearing the world. She finds radio static ‘relaxing’, makes records out of ice and chocolate, and delights in recording the ‘mundane’ noises that surround her. Born in France, Julia’s art practice changed significantly when she moved to Tasmania in her adult life. The landscape, soundscape and community of the isolated island inspired Julia to expand her art practice to incorporate her body, a new circle of collaborators, as well as the new sounds she encountered. Julia’s art is fuelled by a curiosity, playfulness and desire to open people’s ears to hear the world a little bit differently.
As a scribe to the Commonwealth Government, she created the National Apology to Australia’s Indigenous People document, currently displayed in Parliament House. Meet Gemma Black, one of Australia’s most talented calligraphic artists.
Jenine is a farmer and has been for the past 30 years. She works along-side her father running the 150 head of black Angus on a stud farm in Cygnet.
She spends her days getting dirty moving, feeding, drenching and calving cattle as well as driving tractors to cut hay or whatever physical work is required day to day around the farm.
Once Jenine knocks off though, her world completely changes as she comes out of her dirty clothes and into her pristine home.
Kelly designed and built her own off-grid eco-hut in Zeehan. She lives simply, relishing solitude and devoting her time to philosophical enquiry.
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Chris lives in a tiny gypsy wagon in Queenstown. With a deep love for the West Coast she has worked as an underground geologist, teacher and artist.
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Nene is a survivor of war and a refugee camp the size of Hobart. Faith fuels her work with women and children fleeing domestic violence.
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Dr. Karla Fenton has spent most of her working life as a practising psychiatrist. Upon retiring in 2016 at the age of 90 she had to rediscover her sense of self and purpose.
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Antonia loves her life surrounded by family on her farm in central Tasmania. Her advice ‘find out for yourself what adventure this life brings with every new experience’.
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Margaret lives every day with a passion for making a just and fair society. She's a vocal advocate for refugees, supporting them since 1980 through volunteering, lobbying and knitting with the Tassienannas in the Hobart mall.
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Living at Trial Harbour on Tasmania’s wild west coast comes with many challenges but for Toni it also comes with a supportive community, stunning environment and plenty of solitude.
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Self described 'working class, mixed race Sociologist, geriatric single mother, over-feeder and music freak', Lindsey's work as a social researcher gives voice to disadvantage.
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Hannah feels the challenges of the world deeply and works towards restoring social, cultural and environmental balance. She teaches and designs permaculture - advocating for change from the ground up.
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Tasha is an emerging, young leader within the community. After surviving a turbulent upbringing, she has discovered the power of positivity & invests her energy in teaching self acceptance to all within her path
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Whether knitting jumpers, programming a robot, writing a theatre piece or developing an app, Claire d’Este just loves creating things.
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Having faced her own mental and physical challenges Kathleen is passionate about creating a very special space for refuge and healing on beautiful Flinders Island.
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If you are in the west coast mining town of Rosebery you might just glimpse a colourful, twinkly, hardworking fairy. Her name is Ruth and she’s creating a little bit of magic in her corner of the world.
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From environmental scientist to emergency department nurse to professional jazz singer. Nadira is not afraid to put in the hard work and take on new careers. She says the older she gets the fiercer she is at chasing what she wants.
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Strong woman Camilla is challenging all the judgements around women who choose to lift heavy things through education, honesty and leading by example!
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For this photographer, it’s a passion for the wilderness and natural ecosystems that fires her calling to help protect it, to be an activist.
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Rosemary is an activist, feminist and conservationist. Her eco-tourism business in Jackeys Marsh looks out to the Great Western Tiers, which she has been instrumental in protecting.
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Joy has worked hard to establish numerous successful tourism businesses in the mining region of Queenstown, Tasmania. Now Joy has taken on the challenge of bringing new life to art deco gem The Paragon Theatre.
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Combining her skills as an artist and a dressmaker, Helen has been able to create beautiful artworks from the kelp that washes up on the remote Tasmanian coast.
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Having 3 kids in 2 years is a massive challenge. For Amy it led to brutal postnatal depression and also a brilliant idea for a new family focused travel business.
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Aged 11, Jane and her two sisters were told they all had a muscle wasting condition. Since then, she has been living life to the fullest, determined to be a positive voice for living an independent life.
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Scientist Denise Hardesty is taking a leadership role on the global issue of plastic pollution.
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With a passion for children’s welfare Pat has raised a family of seventeen children, most adopted from other countries, which required a willingness to battle bureaucracy, a huge capacity to love, and ten loads of washing a day.
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Award winning taxidermist Nicole finds inspiration in the challenges and mindfulness that taxidermy brings - just don’t ask her to stuff your cat!
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Even at 100 years of age, Nettie Combes is still finding delight in her garden, her memories and bunching flowers for her roadside flower stall.
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Blood, carcasses and sharp knives — Elizabeth O’Wheel feels at home in the traditionally male dominated space of butchery.
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Mea Souris is a prolific designer determined to change the look and feel around how we care for our dead.
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Fiona Dowling started The Sisterhood with the aim of bringing locals together to share, laugh, learn and remember they're 'crazy funny women'.
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Adventurer, anthropologist and artist Jessie Pangas has lived in a tent, indigenous communities and rural India. Now she is learning to put down roots in remote north west Tasmania.
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Self-taught mosaicist Wendy Edwards has never followed the rules, which means she has a style all of her own.
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The first Australian female cinematographer for ABC News, Dorothy Hallam filmed life on the Tasman Peninsula for 22 years. Her advice: "Follow your heart and ignore what others may say".
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Author, public speaker, meditation facilitator and business coach, Maggie has many strings to her bow. Hers is a story of risk, resilience and learning to value herself.
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Jacqui has dedicated her working life to making the perfect glass of her favourite wines, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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