Celebrating women in Barham

By Lua Ikenasio

Mar 7, 2025

It was a good turnout at the Murray River Council’s annual International Women’s Day event. Photo by Jordan Townrow

Around 70 women gathered at the Riverside Park in Barham on Friday afternoon to celebrate International Women’s Day at Murray River Council’s ‘Long Lunch’.

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Women travelled from all over the region to attend the event, including Echuca-Moama, Cohuna, Swan Hill, Lake Boga and even as far as Boundary Bend.

The day’s guest speaker was rural influencer Kaitie Nash, the woman behind ‘The First Time Farmer’.

She spoke about her difficulty transitioning from the bustling city of Darwin to living in the rural world of Coonabarabran.

She suffered mentally but with the help of her husband and a good doctor, she was able to pick herself up and see her situation in a different light.

Kaitie Nash, the woman behind ‘The first time farmer’, was the speaker at the ‘long lunch’. Photo by Jordan Townrow

Mrs Nash became an internet sensation after she began to share her experience as a first-time farmer online.

To her surprise, her content resonated with others around Australia who were also facing similar things.

Mrs Nash said she used her experience from working with women in the garden to gain more confidence in the content creating space.

“To begin with I was petrified, scared of being vulnerable and worried about being pulled apart by keyboard warriors and online scammers,” she said.

“My courage to do this, to be putting myself out there on social media, came from my experience and learnings from my small business.

“Being in the garden with rural women listening to their stories about moving to the country and adapting to farm life resonated with me at the time and has consistently fuelled my desire to want to tell their stories as well as my own.”

After Mrs Nash shared her story, lunch was served by The Long Paddock Food Store.

After lunch, guests had the chance to ask Mrs Nash questions about her journey and her work as a content creator.

The day’s MC Katrina Myers, Murray River Council Mayor John Harvie and rural influencer Kaitie Nash. Photo by Jordan Townrow

Murray River Council Mayor John Harvie said the annual event is an important way to recognise the women in our communities.

“It’s so wonderful to see so many women here today, as we come together to acknowledge the accomplishments of the phenomenal women in our homes, workplaces and our community,” he said.

“This is an important event for us every year and is a great opportunity for community members to come together, network and mark the achievements of the remarkable women in our communities.”