Motherland Australia

Stephanie Trethewey
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by Stephanie Trethewey. Motherland shares real, raw, and unbelievable stories of motherhood told by women on the land. Each week, a rural mum from somewhere in Australia shares her motherhood journey. You'll hear stories of true grit, resilience, grief, and pure joy. Motherhood is the most life changing and transformative journey a woman can go through, and it's not always easy. No matter where you live or what you do, we're in this together and you're not alone.

  1. 1d ago

    317: Kerrie Paisley Was 26 Weeks Pregnant When She Started Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

    At 33, Kerrie Paisley was pregnant again after the heartbreak of pregnancy loss. Then a lump in her breast changed everything. At 22 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. By 26 weeks, she was undergoing chemotherapy, with a little boy at home, a baby on the way, and one overwhelming thought: she needed to be here for them both. Living on a cattle property near Lismore, NSW, Kerrie has faced enormous challenges, from traumatic birth and pregnancy loss to chronic illness and cancer, often having to fight for answers along the way. In this powerful episode, she opens up about the toll of treatment, motherhood guilt, and learning to trust her body again. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Kerrie's story is an important reminder to know your body, trust your instincts and advocate for your health.  Motherland Connect is Australia's first digital health directory for rural mums, connecting you with services to support your physical, mental and emotional health. And if you're a business that can support rural mums, either in person or via telehealth, you can list your services for FREE and help more women access the care they need. Visit motherlandconnect.org.au to find support or list your business today! https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

  2. 4d ago

    Father Land S2E8: George Henderson on hiding depression for decades, reaching breaking point, & finding joy in fatherhood again

    George Henderson is a farmer, husband and dad of three, raising his family on the same property where he grew up, near Yass in New South Wales. But behind the scenes, George had battled depression and anxiety since his teenage years. For decades, he kept his struggles largely to himself, until eventually, he reached breaking point. As the pressures of farming and fatherhood grew, George struggled to find joy in the life he loved. In this episode, George shares how his wife Lan, family, friends and professional support helped him through his darkest days. He opens up about the impact on fatherhood, stepping away from the farm, and his long road to recovery. Today, George is enjoying fatherhood and farming again, and is sharing his story to help others. It's a raw and important conversation about fatherhood, mental health, marriage and the power of asking for help. Content warning: this episode includes discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you or anyone you know needs help, contact Lifeline immediately on 13 11 14 Father Land is proudly supported by Nutrien Ag Solutions, going further for Australian farmers. From farm supplies and agronomy advice to livestock and finance, Nutrien’s local specialists combine local know-how with the backing of one of Australia’s largest agricultural networks. Find your local branch at nutrien.com.au and see how Nutrien can go further for your farm. https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

    Father Land S2E8: George Henderson on hiding depression for decades, reaching breaking point, & finding joy in fatherhood again

  3. Oct 18

    316: Mum of Four & Fitness Entrepreneur Joy McClymont on Parenting Teens, Confidence & Perimenopause

    Finding your place in a farming family isn't always easy, especially when you're raising children. Joy McClymont knows that feeling well. Joy lives on a sheep and cattle property west of Longreach, where she and her husband have raised four children. Before motherhood, Joy had travelled the world, competed in an Ironman World Championship and worked as a teacher. But moving onto her husband's family farm challenged her confidence. Between babies, distance education, drought and farm work, Joy built something of her own: Off the Track Training, an online fitness business supporting rural women. Almost 17 years later, with her eldest at university, three children at boarding school and the challenges of midlife, Joy is preparing to close that chapter. Today, Joy shares the highs and lows of raising four kids in outback Queensland, finding her place on the farm, navigating perimenopause and learning when to put herself first. With deep roots in regional Australia, Elders proudly supports the farmers, families and communities that sustain life on the land. Through its partnership with Motherland, Elders is backing important conversations and stronger rural communities, helping build a brighter future for Australian agriculture. https://elders.com.au/ https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

  4. Oct 15

    Father Land S2E7: Robert Mackenzie on Building a Beef Empire, Burnout and What Really Matters

    Robert Mackenzie left school at 14. By 17, he was buying trucks and machinery. Today, he’s the man behind Maccas Australian Black Angus Beef, one of Australia’s most respected Angus beef enterprises. But behind the success is a story he’s never fully told, until now. Robert opens up about working 120-hour weeks, burnout, the breakdown of his 25-year marriage and losing his best mate to cancer. He also shares why he decided to walk away from his businesses and spend an entire year travelling Australia with his family. But at the heart of this conversation is fatherhood. After years of working harder, building bigger and providing more, Robert came to realise that what matters most is time with your kids. Now, with two sons working alongside him, he reflects on family, fatherhood and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. Father Land is proudly supported by Nutrien Ag Solutions, going further for Australian farmers. From farm supplies and agronomy advice to livestock and finance, Nutrien’s local specialists combine local know-how with the backing of one of Australia’s largest agricultural networks. Find your local branch at nutrien.com.au and see how Nutrien can go further for your farm. https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

    Father Land S2E7: Robert Mackenzie on Building a Beef Empire, Burnout and What Really Matters

  5. Oct 11

    315: Mum of Four Sara Grant on Life After Stillbirth, Infant Loss and Finding Hope Again

    October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and October 15 marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Sara Grant is a mum of four, but the rest of the world only sees her as a mum of two. Her first baby, Jesse, was stillborn after a devastating diagnosis at their 20-week scan. The following year, she welcomed her daughter Holley, and while living remotely in Mount Isa, found an important sense of connection through a local mothers’ group. Then in 2008, after an otherwise healthy pregnancy, her daughter Bo died just five hours after birth.  Two years later, Sara and her husband welcomed their daughter Belle. Today, Holley is 20 and Belle is 16. Jesse and Bo remain very much part of their family. For the past six years, Sara has worked with Red Nose, supporting other bereaved parents, including families in rural Australia. Today, Sara shares her story of loss, grief, motherhood and finding her village. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also full of hope. Pregancy & infant loss support:  Instagram: @rednosegriefandloss  Facebook: @rednosegriefandlossHospital to Home Lived Experience Peer Support Program https://rednose.org.au/grief-and-loss-support/find-support/hospital-to-home/Support Groups, in person and online https://rednose.org.au/grief-and-loss-support/find-support/peer-and-group-support/join-a-group/Community Engagement, for October Walks to Remember Events https://rednose.org.au/events/walk-to-remember-2026/https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/ https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

  6. Oct 8

    Father Land S2E6: Ag pioneer Terry McCosker on losing his son, going broke at 40 and rebuilding from the ground up

    Many would describe Terry McCosker as one of Australia's most respected figures in agriculture. For more than 50 years, he's helped shape Australian farming through RCS, the organisation he co-founded in 1985, working with thousands of farming families to rethink the way they manage their land, their business and themselves. But this rare conversation isn't just about agriculture. Behind the success is a story of grit, heartbreak and resilience few people know. Terry opens up about losing his firstborn son in the Territory, burying himself in work to escape the grief, and becoming broke at 40 with three young daughters, relying on welfare to feed his family. This episode is about rebuilding... not just a business, but a life. We talk fatherhood, marriage, grief, burnout, purpose and what he's learnt after nearly 53 years alongside his wife Pam. We also explore why he believes people, not profits or production, are the foundation of every successful farming business. Father Land is proudly supported by Nutrien Ag Solutions, going further for Australian farmers. From farm supplies and agronomy advice to livestock and finance, Nutrien’s local specialists combine local know-how with the backing of one of Australia’s largest agricultural networks. Find your local branch at nutrien.com.au and see how Nutrien can go further for your farm. https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

    Father Land S2E6: Ag pioneer Terry McCosker on losing his son, going broke at 40 and rebuilding from the ground up

  7. Oct 1

    Father Land S2E5: Jack Kennedy on Muster Dogs, mental health and becoming a stay-at-home dad

    Jack Kennedy is a livestock contractor in Western Victoria, a dad of two little girls, founder of a local Tough Guy Book Club chapter, and someone you may recognise from season three of Muster Dogs. But behind the TV cameras, Jack was navigating a much bigger adjustment. Becoming a dad changed everything. He was managing a busy farming operation, working 60-plus-hour weeks, trying to be a good partner and father, and beginning to understand firsthand the pressure that can come when farming and family collide. When his wife Nikki returned to work, their local daycare had closed and childcare was almost impossible to find. So Jack made a huge call: he left a farm management job he loved and became a stay-at-home dad. Later, after the birth of their second daughter, drought, financial pressure, grief and fatherhood all collided, and Jack found himself struggling with his mental health. Today he opens up about farming, fatherhood, postnatal stress, and why finding a life and identity beyond the farm matters.   Father Land is proudly supported by Nutrien Ag Solutions, going further for Australian farmers. From farm supplies and agronomy advice to livestock and finance, Nutrien’s local specialists combine local know-how with the backing of one of Australia’s largest agricultural networks. Find your local branch at nutrien.com.au and see how Nutrien can go further for your farm. https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

    Father Land S2E5: Jack Kennedy on Muster Dogs, mental health and becoming a stay-at-home dad

  8. Sep 24

    Father Land S2E4: Country singer Tom Curtain on the live export ban, losing everything & his extraordinary reinvention

    Tom Curtain always dreamed of living and working in the Northern Territory. What he didn’t know was how much that dream would ask of him. After heading north, Tom built a thriving horse-training business across the Top End and discovered an unexpected talent for music. Then the 2011 live cattle export ban hit. Almost overnight, the work dried up. Under immense financial pressure, Tom did whatever he could to stay afloat, shoeing horses, working around the clock and singing at caravan parks four nights a week. At the same time, his marriage broke down and his two young children moved to WA. What followed was an extraordinary reinvention. Today, Tom is a country music singer, horseman and dad of four who runs Katherine Outback Experience with his wife Annabel. Today he shares how he rebuilt his life, the unlikely hitchhiking encounter that led him to love, and the joy and heartache of rural fatherhood across two chapters. Father Land is proudly supported by Nutrien Ag Solutions, going further for Australian farmers. From farm supplies and agronomy advice to livestock and finance, Nutrien’s local specialists combine local know-how with the backing of one of Australia’s largest agricultural networks. Find your local branch at nutrien.com.au and see how Nutrien can go further for your farm. https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia

    Father Land S2E4: Country singer Tom Curtain on the live export ban, losing everything & his extraordinary reinvention
See All (356)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Hosted by Stephanie Trethewey. Motherland shares real, raw, and unbelievable stories of motherhood told by women on the land. Each week, a rural mum from somewhere in Australia shares her motherhood journey. You'll hear stories of true grit, resilience, grief, and pure joy. Motherhood is the most life changing and transformative journey a woman can go through, and it's not always easy. No matter where you live or what you do, we're in this together and you're not alone.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephanie Trethewey
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    356
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Motherland Australia
  • Show Website
    Motherland Australia

You Might Also Like