Rural women inspired by rural women

Women are freaking phenomenal – that was the message from Sunday’s Committee for Echuca Moama’s International Women’s Day event at Moama Bowling Club.

Almost 170 guests were treated to an afternoon of entertainment and giveaways at the ‘Rural Women Inspiring Rural Women’ event.

Christy O’Brien facilitated a panel of five women who included Oliva Batchelor, Jamiah Clarke, Nicole Aquino, Nina O’Brien and Penny Silver who spoke about resilience, success, leadership and legacy.

Nicole spoke about how welcoming the Echuca Moama community had been.

“I came to Echuca Moama in 2018 after my mum died and soon after that my marriage broke down and I felt trapped in this small town with just my dad.”

But her fears were unfounded. “We are incredibly inclusive here and band together more than anywhere I’ve ever lived. Coming here, you can walk down the street and smile, and nod hello and people smile and nod back! That doesn’t happen in Melbourne.

Her advice to others on resilience was simple. “Don’t fake it until you make it. It’s a lot simpler than you think it may be. Enjoy every moment, like the sunshine when you open the blinds, the coffee, the wine! It’s a conscious decision you make every day. And really, we are enough and I want everyone to remember that. We are freaking phenomenal.”

Year 12 student Olivia Batchelor found her inner strength during the pandemic.

“I started year 7 in 2020 and spent the next years in my bedroom in lockdown. I felt quite alone with no social interaction, but it definitely created resilience. Although you don’t see it at the time, looking back you can see that you actually did that and got through it.”

One of her biggest inspirations was her mother, Catherine Lees.

“She is such a wonderful woman and has been a beacon of support for me, particularly during high school and Covid. She is warm and caring and someone who inspires me.”

For Nina O’Brien, inspiration came from humility.

“I am inspired by people who don’t seek the spotlight. They do the hard stuff, have the quiet words, but don’t seek recognition.”

Penny Silver was in awe of farming women.

“The women who inspire me are the farming women who face adversity all the time and have to adapt to adversity, changing times and circumstances.”

She also found women who made the time to help others less fortunate than themselves were amazing, such as those who helped the homeless, domestic violence victims or even kept people company in hospital.

Teacher Jamiah Clarke was inspired by a fellow teacher who made a special effort to help her when she first started teaching.

“They made that effort for me and now I aspire to do that for my students. There are a lot of country kids for which school isn’t a priority and it’s hard to engage them, but I support them in what they want to do.”

Sunday’s event culminated in the announcement by host and C4EM board chair Catherine Lees of an International Women’s Day Community Recognition (in Memoriam) Award to Corale Oberin.  

‘This award honours and celebrates the legacy of Corale Oberin, whose tireless dedication and unwavering commitment has left a lasting mark on the Echuca Moama community,’ she said.

‘A true pillar of strength, Corale devoted her life to her family, local community and hospitality.

‘Corale’s authenticity and passion for building human connections through supporting community projects as well as striving for hospitality excellence, enriched the lives of those around her and has potentially shaped the future of our community, in ways that will be felt for generations to come.’

Corale was well known in Echuca, raising three children in Gunbower with husband Don before moving to Echuca and building and running the Nirebo Hotel.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Oberin family was Corale’s daughter, Andrea Rippon.

‘Mum was the quiet force that kept everything running,’ she said. ‘She built a sense of community with the women who worked alongside her, becoming life-long friends with them. Building relationships was the foundation of whatever she did.

‘Thank you to Committee for Echuca Moama’s International Women’s Day organising committee for this beautiful recognition of my mother.

‘She was simply extraordinary.’

In honour of Corale’s dedication to Echuca and the hospitality sphere, IWD Corale Oberin Hospitality Scholarship will be awarded in 2026 to a woman from across the Campaspe or Murray LGAs to pursue education or training that will contribute towards our local hospitality industry.

 C4EM will open nominations for this award in November 2025.

The afternoon concluded with the announcement of a project called 100 Extraordinary Women – A Snapshot in Time, which will pay tribute to 100 inspiring women of Echuca Moama, aiming to celebrate their stories, contributions, and influence within the community and showcasing their leadership and resilience.

‘We are excited to celebrate the achievements of women in Campaspe and Murray,’ Dr Lees said. ‘And this project is all about recognising women who strive to be the best they can be and want the best for their community.’

The project will culminate in the launch of a book at the IWD event on March 1, 2026.

If you would like to nominate a woman to be included in the book, you can follow this link.