Bush Lanterns – Amanda Salisbury

Amanda Salisbury’s advice to younger women striving to make it in rural areas is;

“Passion for the land is a pure and marvellous thing!  Dream big, work hard, take advantage of the wealth of knowledge out there …but most of all, take the time to listen to your heart.  It won’t always be easy, but it WILL be worthwhile.”

Amanda has definately made her time worthwhile – her talents have led her to being a student, a waitress, a photographer, a journalist, a media advisor, a wife, a mother and (now, once again) a beef producer!

Bush Lanterns is continuing to highlight women in the rural and agriculture sector one amazing woman at a time! There are so many amazing and wonderful women who don’t always get recognised for what they do and I feel it’s my job to be able to bring them to you.

If you love the Bush Lanterns series, please share the blogs and let’s get some serious momentum behind them so more and more people can read about these inspiring and motivated women.

If you have a woman you think is perfect for this series, then please get in contact: fleur@fleurmcdonald.com. I’d love to showcase them!

Enjoy Amanda’s story:

1. Tell us a little about yourself, family and work?

I was born a bush girl, did a couple of decades stint in urban and suburban locations, before returning to my roots.  I have been a student, a waitress, a photographer, a journalist, a media advisor, a wife, a mother and (now, once again) a beef producer.  I have loved every single incarnation along the way. As I type this, with the rain drizzling contentedly down on our roof and the grass practically unfurling out the window, I am so glad that life led me back here.

2. What is your greatest achievement?

Outside my family, and our business (of which I am extremely proud), the personal endeavour that has given me most joy has been my blogging.  I have shared many things on www.bushbabeofoz.com along the way – mustering, branding, triumphs, tragedies, sunsets, drought and floods.  Opening up about my cancer story, and our battle for decent bush internet, have added more layers to my story.  I love that regardless of where you live, or what your career, my readers and I can generally find common ground and share joy in the simplest of things.

3. How did you get where you are today, and who/what helped you?

Ummm… sheer luck?  I WAS lucky to be born into a wonderful family of incredible, strong women and men.  Hard work and clear visions were encouraged from a young age.  My career as a photojournalist gave me the skills to translate the world around me.  I married a marvellous bloke who puts up with me, and with being photographed and shared across the inter-webs.  I have two amazing kids, who have taught me a that a mother’s love has no bounds and that every moment of anguish is more than worth it.  All these people, and my life travel, experiences and encounters have made me reasonably observant and extremely appreciative.  I just share that (and my utter ordinary-ness) on my blog.

4. You are an effective female leader. What drives you?

I like to think that, if indeed I am considered a leader, I am the kind of leader who walks alongside rather than in front.  With five decades under my belt, I live with the stark knowledge that I have a hell of a lot to learn.  We all do.  So I try to share a quiet message of resilience and joy, and when I use my voice for change, I try to keep it calm and reasonable. No-one listens when you shout anyway!  I am fuelled by little things and I hope that people come away hearing my micro-messages: Love the small stuff, love the free stuff, love your OWN stuff.  Life is too damned short to do otherwise.   

5. Name one thing about yourself that most people don’t know

I began my tertiary life studying Architecture. I lasted 18 months before I realised I was spending 90% of my time in the darkroom and changed career paths!

6. What would be your advice to younger women who are trying to achieve great things in rural areas?

Passion for the land is a pure and marvellous thing!  Dream big, work hard, take advantage of the wealth of knowledge out there …but most of all, take the time to listen to your heart.  It won’t always be easy, but it WILL be worthwhile.

Enjoy some of Amanda’s Salisbury photography from –  bushbabeofoz.com