Meet

Stephanie Trethewey | Founder & CEO | 2024 Australian of the Year for Tasmania

I’m Steph, and I live in rural Tasmania with my husband and two young children. 

Becoming a mum was a baptism of fire for me, and I wasn’t at all prepared for the unique challenges that come with raising kids on the land. With no family, friends or mother’s groups nearby to support me, it soon became very clear that too many rural mums are raising their children without a village, and they desperately need one. 

So, I created Motherland to celebrate and connect rural mums around the country by providing a platform and online community dedicated to supporting rural mothers and reducing the isolation many of us feel. 

Rural mums are some of the most under-valued, under-supported, and under-celebrated women in the country. And while we are all so different, there is much that ties us together. 

It’s my mission to put rural motherhood on the map, and enable the incredible mothers who are the backbone of our rural communities, to form meaningful connections with each other. 

So remember, no matter where you live or what you do, we’re in this together and you’re not alone.

Stephanie Trethewey is the 2024 Australian of the Year for Tasmania. She’s a visionary leader who has transformed personal challenges into a nationwide movement to support rural mothers across Australia. Steph’s experience leaving behind a successful career in television journalism and swapping the city for the country was both a brutal and beautiful journey. Her struggles with postnatal depression and isolation inspired the creation of Motherland.

Steph is a very public advocate for mental health awareness, particularly for mothers, and is a proud Gidget Foundation Australia Angel. Steph is married to her beautiful husband Sam, and together they have two young children, Elliot (5) and Evie (3). In 2022, Stephanie was named the national winner of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. In 2023, she celebrated the release of her debut book, Motherland.