Dianne Torrens is a Widjabal woman and Githabul woman of the Bundjalung nation from the Northern Rivers. Aunty Di believes ‘In This Together’ and the pathway for reconciliation requires truth, justice and forgiveness, and simply sitting together to share a conversation over a cuppa. It is being open with each other, saying ‘hello’ and focusing on our similarities, rather than our differences.

It’s National Volunteer Week, and what better time to celebrate our incredible Outback Links volunteers! We recently caught up with two of our longest-serving volunteers, Howard and Mary. In this article we share highlights from our conversation, giving you a glimpse into their amazing, decade-long journey!

The current climate is presenting new and unique challenges for people in the bush, like this West Australian family grieving over the sudden loss of a loved one. Spread across the state, family members faced tough restrictions preventing them from travelling to and attending the funeral. But thankfully, they were not alone. Our incredible Bush Chaplains were there with them. And they found a way for people to come together, to support each other in mourning…

We spoke to some members of the Frontier Services family about what this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme ‘In This Together’ means for them. In this article, the first of a two-part series, we catch up with our Bush Chaplain, Benjamin Quilliam and share his experiences working with First People from the APY Lands ands what he feels In This Together means for his community.

We’re still here. And we’re still connecting people! Hear from our incredible Bush Chaplains as they work to maintain and grow social connections in their remote communities at a time when people couldn’t feel more isolated. We also share our perspective on what the theme ‘In this together’ means for us, as we approach the 20th anniversary of National Reconciliation Week.

We meet some incredible women in the Outback. Their stories never cease to amaze!

Margaret is one remarkable woman. Hers is a story of resilience and hard work. Your support helps to keep Aussie farmers like her stay on the land longer, while still looking after their health.

Read her incredible story to find out more…

It’s been a tough summer for Australia. But it has also brought people together. There are so many amazing stories about people rallying behind those doing it tough, whether it’s because of drought, bushfire or other disaster. And some of these we share with you in this edition of Frontier News. It’s about keeping spirits high and bringing welcome relief to those out bush.

People in the Greater Gippsland Region are in the grip of Australia’s worst bushfires. We urgently need to fund a relief Bush Chaplain to support Rev Rowena Harris in our High Country Remote Area. Your gift today will ensure trauma counselling and emergency relief are available to families when they need it most. Can you help?

In our 2018-19 Annual Report, we celebrate our incredible Bush Chaplains and Outback Links volunteers as they bring helping hands and hope to more people in remote Australia. We reflect on our collaborations with our corporate partners, and thank our loyal supporters who have made a tremendous difference to the lives of people in the Outback.

We talk with one of our farmers about the worst drought on record. “When you’re around dust and dying stock all the time, depression can hit you hard,” Rhonda told us. “But knowing someone cares makes such a difference.” We believe the rains will come. Until then, we need your help to keep people’s spirits high. Find out more in our latest story…