Being the support manager of a million-hectare cattle station in the Northern Territory keeps her busy enough but when you are handpicked for the Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program run by the National Farmer’s Federation, you find the time. The program helps support female leaders who are driven to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for the industry.
Anna Cochrane and her husband manage Newcastle Waters Station Consolidated Pastoral Company. “One of my favourite bits of the role is you can wake up and you can never know what you’re going to be doing that day.”
It’s very different to the future she first imagined for herself as a law student. That degree didn’t last long as the pull to agriculture was already there. Anna swapped law for Ag Economics. That offered her a diverse career in agribusiness banking, new industry programs, consultancy and leadership roles. The move to the Northern Territory was her biggest role yet – relocating a whole family to one of the most remote parts of the country.
Anna works with a large team ranging from administration, to a butcher, cooks as well as monitoring first-aid, workplace health and safety, and any HR issues. She takes her role as woman in leadership very seriously.
“Quite often, we bring people into this environment and they’re a long way from home. They’re often quite young. They are learning new skills. Meeting new people. We just have to be kind to each other.”
Anna likes to look for gaps wherever she goes and seeks to work out a way to enrich life for regional communities. In the past, that has meant revamping a local race day so punters could buy a glass of champagne. Or creating a local innovation expo. Now, it looks like a community garden and art shed designed in consultation with the local Indigenous elders.
“To be honest, I don’t think I have ever felt isolated. We have a real community of people here. The best thing about living regionally and remotely is that people are so invested.”
Amazing considering the nearest shopping town is 400 kilometres to the north and 300 kilometres to the south. Anna’s answer to how to create community in a place like that – is to employ based on values, rather than skills. The former can’t be taught, but the latter can. Having a good work ethic and being approachable are non-negotiables. It’s an attitude that landed Anna in her current role. In fact, prior she had discussed with her husband never wanting to move to the Northern Territory. But life there has given her so much. Some days it’s fighting fires; others it’s hosting film crews – and everything in between. Anna would love for the broader community to understand that and have a taste of living regionally.
“We did a survey a couple of years ago of people in Brisbane, asking if they’d been west. One guy said, he’s been to Ipswich. We’d like people to go further west. It’s easy to get trapped in our own lives.”
Anna’s hidden talent is cooking, and while her family hasn’t agreed to open a café just yet, it’s safe to say her team are very well looked after in every way.
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