Closing the Digital Divide for Rural Australians with Alana Johnson

Married to the Land

Have you heard of the 1970s rural women's movement? You might be wondering when rural women began advocating for a seat at the table in agriculture and where it all started. Today, we're diving into that history with Alana Johnson.

Alana Johnson is a fifth-generation family farmer engaged in cattle production, farm forestry, and an award-winning habitat restoration project near Benalla in northeast Victoria. She is widely recognized for her work in rural development and gender equality. In January 2020, Alana was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to women.

Throughout her career, Alana has served on Agricultural Ministerial Councils at both the State and Federal levels. She is the immediate past Chair of the Victorian Catchment Management Council and has held director positions at Goulburn Murray Water and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

A pioneer of the rural women’s movement in Australia, Alana is a founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture. She currently chairs the Victorian Women’s Trust, the state’s peak women’s advocacy body. In 2018, she was appointed to the inaugural Ministerial Council on Women’s Equality in Victoria and inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

Alana has received numerous accolades, including the Rural Women’s Award and recognition as one of the inaugural 100 Women of Influence in Australia by the Australian Financial Review and the inaugural 100 Women in Australian Agribusiness by Rural Press. She is a founding member and past President of the acclaimed democracy project, Voices for Indi, and co-authored The Indi Way, published in 2023. Additionally, in 2020, she co-founded the Community Independents Project with former MP Cathy McGowan, leading to the 2022 election of six Community Independent Teal MPs to federal parliament.

In 2019, Alana received a Distinguished Alumni Award from La Trobe University and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Join us as we explore Alana's incredible journey and the impact of the rural women's movement!

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Victorian Women’s Trust

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