Raising Rural
Australia’s National Report onRural Motherhood
Giving rural mothers a voice, shining a light on the challenges they face, and calling for change in how Australia supports them.
About the report
Raising Rural is a landmark, first-of-its-kind national report, providing an unprecedented insight into the realities of motherhood across rural and remote Australia.
Drawing on the experiences of 1,068 rural mothers from across the country, the report explores maternal mental health, isolation, social connection, access to support, the pressures of motherhood and the unique joys of raising a family in rural Australia.
The findings reveal significant gaps in mental health support, social connection and access to care, highlighting the urgent need for change in how Australia supports rural mothers.
For almost seven years, Motherland has listened to rural mothers across Australia, advocated for their needs and developed programs and services to support them. Raising Rural builds on that work, putting rural mothers’ lived experiences and data at the centre of a national call for change.
Raising Rural provides that evidence, putting rural mothers’ voices at the centre of a national call for change.
The findings
What 1,068 rural mothers told us
The findings should be a wake-up call for how Australia supports rural mothers.
68% reported experiencing perinatal anxiety or depression.
47% of those mothers never sought professional help.
81% said the postnatal support available to them was inadequate.
70% identified isolation as the hardest part of rural motherhood.
42% can’t access a local mothers group.
36% travelled more than two hours to give birth.
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Across the findings, isolation emerges as a common thread. Geographic, social and emotional isolation affects rural mothers’ mental health, their access to services and their ability to find the support they need.
“This report ends the excuse of not knowing. 1,068 rural mothers have now told Australia what is broken and what will help fix it.”
The roadmap
Five calls for change
Raising Rural is more than evidence of the challenges facing rural mothers. It provides a roadmap for what needs to change.
Based on the findings and Motherland’s seven years of working directly with rural women, we’re calling for five national reforms:
Call 1: Find her
Identify and support mothers experiencing mental health challenges earlier, rather than waiting for them to seek help.
Call 2: Care for her
Ensure consistent, accessible postnatal care, including home visits and support for mothers’ physical and mental health.
Call 3: Connect her
Invest in peer support, mothers groups and opportunities for social connection at every stage of motherhood.
Call 4: Reach her
Restore local maternity services and bring care closer to rural mothers through outreach and accessible healthcare.
Call 5: Enable her
Address practical barriers, including flexible childcare and support that reaches mothers during drought and natural disasters.
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What happens next
From evidence to action
Rural motherhood is a life many women deliberately choose and deeply value. But choosing to raise a family in rural Australia should not mean accepting less care, less connection or less support.
Motherland is calling on government, philanthropy, corporates and industry to recognise the needs of rural mothers and invest in practical, lasting solutions.
We remain committed to reducing isolation and improving mental health outcomes for rural mothers, while using the findings of Raising Rural to advocate for broader change in how they are supported.
Government House, Canberra
Official Report Launch
Raising Rural – Australia’s National Report on Rural Motherhood was officially launched at Government House, Canberra, on 27 October 2026, alongside Motherland’s Patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Want to be part of the change?
If your organisation would like to support Motherland’s work and help us achieve our mission of ensuring no rural mum is left behind, we’d love to hear from you.