HOT on the heels of International Women’s Day, while we are still celebrating women, the time was right to highlight the achievements of one local rural woman that inspires.
Kirsten Diprose has been a journalist for more than 15 years and has spent a large part of her communications career working as a TV and radio reporter for the ABC.
The communications specialist and content creator began her career in Sydney in 2007 as a producer for the 7:30 Report and Lateline following which she received an ABC cadetship as a news reporter in Melbourne.
Since then, Ms Diprose has worked on several ABC programs, including the 7PM News, The Business Show, Stateline, PM and News Breakfast. She's also worked as the News Editor in Bendigo, Ballarat and Warrnambool.
In 2014, Ms Diprose received a Quill award for Reporting on Disability and was nominated again in 2016. She also received two legal reporting awards for radio news and TV current affairs in 2014.
She’s still working for the ABC in Melbourne and across Ballarat, Warrnambool, and western Victoria presenting, including a fortnightly spot on the Conversation Hour and casually in other roles.
Her career has continued to develop and now includes board director, podcaster, and farmer. Never call her just a “farmer's wife”.
But growing up in Penrith, western Sydney, Ms Diprose never imagined she'd be living in regional western Victoria after marrying and moving to a farm in 2013.
She said moving to Caramut has been one of her biggest life-changing moves (so far), where she lives with her husband Gerard and their two sons, Harry, 9, and Will, 7 on a mixed grazing and cropping farm. The most recent venture on their farm has been incorporating dairy into the farming business.
Speaking about the extreme change of pace from city to country life, Ms Diprose said it was certainly very distinct.
“It was very different,” she said.
“That was eleven years ago - I officially moved here when I got married.
“It was a culture shock but a pleasant one for the most part.
“I was thinking about moving to England because I never had that living overseas experience … but moving here was my cultural exchange experience.”
Ms Diprose’s communications career has nowadays seen her specialised expertise expand into audio (live radio and podcasts). She said it was her passion for telling stories about rural people that has grown and that which led to her creating the Rural Podcasting Co.
She calls it a service to help rural people tell their own story.
Ms Diprose is also the co-host and co-founder of Ducks on the Pond (DotP) podcast, created by rural women for rural women.
DotP recognises that living on the land brings challenges but also opportunities that are different for women living in rural and regional areas.
“When I started the podcast in 2021, I had already been living in the country for a long time - the podcast came out of being frustrated,” she said.
Then the Rural Podcasting Co business grew out of her podcast.
“I wanted to monetise DotP,” she said.
“It was supporting itself - I thought, can I use my podcast as a business?
"I realised there are plenty of rural people and organisations who would love to start a podcast, but don't know how. So, I created the Rural Podcasting Co, which has coaching programs that are affordable for individuals and small businesses."
"And I also have agency services, where I make podcasts for other rural or agriculture-related businesses."
However, with the podcast, she felt “there wasn’t enough out there as to how we (rural women) live our lives - the reality, the challenges and opportunities”.
“I really enjoyed listening to podcasts - whether they be motivational ones, or business, or health, or even parenting - there was nothing that reflected our lives.
“I just wanted to have a conversation that reflected our logistic reality.
“We actually talk about everything - from business, to farming, mental health, fertility, it covers everything that we talk about as rural women.
“I release every fortnight, and that is so it can fit into our life - I’m up to my fifth season - I usually have multiple women in each episode - I only have women speakers - and we cover everything from a rural woman’s perspective.”
‘Giving Yourself Permission to Look After Yourself’ is one episode on DotP that epitomises the podcast series synopsis of focussing on the needs and challenges that rural women face.
“It is about how to break that expectation that women need to be everything for everyone, every day, and how to take small steps to build in more time for health,” Ms Diprose said on her podcast.
“Often women just don’t have the time or headspace to even consider taking time for themselves with a default position of putting themselves last or at least behind the kids, which can invariably affect their health.
“The podcast offers useful advice for women about how they can grant permission to put themselves first.”
She said that particular podcast was a topic everyone would related to.
“We talk about what it’s like when you’re raising a family and you’re in the middle of harvest, or what it’s like supporting a business or what it’s like when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep for a fortnight, but always from our (women’s) perspective,” Ms Diprose said.
Ms Diprose has continued to expand her enterprise and in 2021, was appointed as a board director at South West TAFE - an organisation she said was dedicated to making sure all south west Victorians can reach their full career potential, and presently serves as the deputy chair.
She is also currently undertaking a PhD with Deakin University.
“Sustainable journalism, local news and podcasting is the topic,” she said.
“I started that about six months ago - it’s still fairly new.”
With so many pots on the boil, it is fair to ask how she manages to wear so many different hats, student, farmer, mother, journalist and board director.
“I really enjoy the variety,” she said.
“That suits my personality … but the whole idea of balance is a really difficult notion.
“Sometimes I do tip the scales one way too far (and then) I have to remind myself it is okay to relax and take my foot off the accelerator.
“I always prioritise my children and my family - because I have a flexible job, I can do that.
“I do sometimes work at night.”
Asked if she still missed city life, she was quick to say “no”.
“I love going back to the city,” she said,
“But I also really love living where I live - I love the community more than anything.
“I love that I’m looking out my window at the farm - it is a different way of life, and you have to adjust accordingly.
“I do miss being able to just go out and buy a coffee - but on balance I think country life wins out by far.”