Life on a cattle station with Emma Moss

Growing up in regional Queensland, Emma Moss dreamed of ‘going north’ after school and working on a remote cattle station. That dream came true when she drove more than 5,000 kilometers to start work on Nerrima Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

“I’d never been to a big station before and I was definitely nervous but within two weeks I just loved it!,” said Emma.

What was meant to be a one year experience soon turned into two on the station and now Emma calls the region her permanent home.

As a 2020 AgriFutures Horizon Scholar, Emma is studying a Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture and a Bachelor of Agricultural Science through the University of Queensland while working for WA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Broome. Her passion is the Northern beef industry and developing grazing systems and irrigation that can work effectively in the Kimberley. For 2021 she’s planning to get her fixed-wing plane licence to make it even easier to get to the cattle stations she visits every chance she gets.

“Working in agriculture really lights me up! There are so many amazing minds in this industry, including so many who don’t come from a family farming background. I’m all for diversity in every aspect of agriculture and working with experts from science, technology, business and so much more is exciting.”

“Being a Horizon Scholar has given me such a confidence boost. It’s made me realise that what I have to offer is valuable. I’m a young woman working in agriculture and I can make a real positive impact,” said Emma.

“One thing I’ve learnt working on cattle stations is that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or who you know, if you can work hard and commit to learning, you’ll earn respect. You can come here with no experience and as long as you have an open mind and ask lots of questions, you’ll be given more than a chance.”

“Even in the relatively short time I’ve been in the industry I’m so pleased to be seeing more and more women getting involved. There’s more applications for cattle station jobs from women and in my uni course we’re the majority by a long way.”

“One of the things I’m proudest of is my Instagram account Life On A Station which has almost 20,000 followers. Through this channel I get to show off the beauty of the Kimberley and what it’s like to work on a cattle station to people all over Australia and the world. I’ve even heard from people who tell me it’s given them the push they needed to start their career in agriculture and that makes me so happy.

“Then there’s the hashtag I started #aglikealady where we’re changing the narrative about farming – showing in real time that it’s not just men doing it. I’m really proud to be representing women in agriculture on the International Day of Rural Women and everyday.”

International Day of Rural Women

We have launched a hashtag #hatsofftoruralwomen across our social media channels and encourage you to use this hashtag and share the stories of the rural, regional and remote women you work with and the reasons why they inspire you.

For more information about the United Nations’ International Day of Rural Women, please visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/rural-women-day