Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Women of Achievement Heads out West

The Women of Achievement Festival is hitting the road once again this weekend to share the inspiring stories of local businesswomen from across the Charters Towers region.

After the success of the Women of Achievement Festival and online conference in Townsville last October, Founder Kylie Bartlett was inspired to take the festival out west to highlight inspiring and innovative women from across rural and remote Queensland, with their first digital pop-up event held in Hughenden last month.

“Regional, remote and rural women across Queensland are one of the most underestimated ecosystems in Australia,” says Kylie.

“Taking the Women of Achievement festival to region, rural and remote (RRR) areas across outback Queensland not only removes some of the barriers associated but also aims to build a strong female led eco-system within each community and across vast geographical distances. 

“It is about keeping it regional, rural and remote and making an economic impact by backing women in our own backyard.”

The Women of Achievement Festival will continue in Richmond, Mount Isa, the Burdekin and Whitsundays later this year, with a goal of building sustainable rural, regional and remote female-based entrepreneurial.

“Women are at the heartland of many rural, regional and remote communities and yet often take a backseat in terms of their own wellbeing and professional development opportunities,” continues Kylie.

“Investing in the entrepreneurial spirit, stories and business acumen of RRR women has a huge impact on workforce participation, closing the human capital gap and elevating the voices and leadership capacity of RRR women and especially, first nations women.

“We’re looking forward to this weekend’s event in Charters Towers, where a range of inspiring and amazing women will share their stories.”

Meet the Guest Speakers:

Tania Ault

Dillinga’s Dreaming Art Studio

Proud Gudjala woman and renowned local artist, Tania Ault is the owner of Charters Towers based art studio, Dillinga’s Dreaming, where she regularly shares her skills and knowledge through workshops for adults and children. Specialising in Aboriginal art, Tania has been working as an artist for over 30 years, with her work appearing across the globe in England, Germany, Japan, Canada, Wales, Switzerland, the USA, New Zealand and most states in Australia.

Not one to shy away from colour in her work, Tania believes art creates conversations and opens doors between cultures. Her recent appointment to the North Queensland Tourism Advisory Committee will also see her represent her Gudjala culture and community of Charters Towers through her art.

Michelle Petersen

Talking Towers Speech Pathology

Michelle Petersen is an experienced speech pathologist and the owner and director of Talking Towers Speech Pathology. Growing up in the Atherton Tablelands, Michelle moved to Brisbane to study her Bachelor of Speech Pathology before receiving a Queensland Health Rural Scholarship, which saw her move back up north to Charters Towers in 2005 to start her career.

After a stint overseas, she returned to Charters Towers in 2008 where she continued to develop her skills at the Charters Towers Health Service for nine years before moving to private practice. In July 2020, she founded Talking Towers Speech Pathology, so she could continue to practise in her preferred areas while also creating a local business that provided reliable and consistent health services.

Jane Jesberg 

The Rix Hotel

Jane Jesberg is one of the region’s most experienced journalists who began her career with WIN News in Townsville before making the switch to Channel 7 News five years later to help launch its Townsville Newsroom and nightly bulletin.

An award-winning journalist and mother of two, Jane has covered some of the region’s most significant events over the last 20 years. She recently stepped away from the newsroom to embark on a bold renovation of their family-owned hotel, The Rix Hotel with her husband. This 7-year project culminated with the creation and launch of the hotel’s renowned Beast & Barrel Bar + Grill.

Lorrae Strahorn

Deloitte Digital

Born and raised in Charters Towers, Lorrae Strahorn is a director working remotely for Deloitte Digital’s Melbourne office. Having lived in Brisbane, London, Manila and Melbourne, Lorrae returned to town with her young family in 2018 and began her remote-working arrangement. She is currently leading a development team working on a project for the Future Drought Fund called DR.SAT, a drought resilience self-assessment tool for farmers. In her spare time, Lorrae started ‘in The Towers’ to elevate the stories of Charters Towers business owners.

Tracy Maff 

Special Guest & creator of #getoutbackcharterstowers

Born in New Zealand, Tracy Maff grew up in the western suburbs of Brisbane and fell in love with outback Queensland during an adventure to Winton and Mt Isa. As someone who has lived and worked all around Australia, Tracy moved to Charters Towers after securing a job as Events Coordinator for Charters Towers City Council, where she founded Fushia Belle Boutique, before selling the business and moving to Texas for two years. 

She later returned to Charters Towers where she worked as the Marketing & Promotions Officer at All Souls St Gabriels School for six years. Her latest opportunity has seen her move across to PROSPECT Community Services last year to take the role of Business Development and Marketing Manager. Tracy has become a local legend in the Charters Towers region and spends much of her time volunteering for various local organisations and events.

The Women of Achievement Festival will take place in Charters Towers this Saturday 18 June at the Rix Hotel and is sponsored by Minjar Gold. Click here for more information

Picture of Georgie Desailly

Georgie Desailly

Georgie is BDmag’s resident writer who is passionate about entrepreneurship, sustainability and regional affairs. She spent time studying in New York City where she was trained by some of the world's leading journalists at The School of the New York Times.
Picture of Georgie Desailly

Georgie Desailly

Georgie is BDmag’s resident writer who is passionate about entrepreneurship, sustainability and regional affairs. She spent time studying in New York City where she was trained by some of the world's leading journalists at The School of the New York Times.