The society recently congratulated Brooke Martin-Smith and Sarah Nesbitt on their respective rewards.

Rural Achiever Ms Nesbitt has grown up on the Monaro and is a fifth-generation farmer. She has a passion for agriculture and in particular the livestock and wool industries.

Ms Nesbitt said her heart is in the country and she returns to help out on the family Charolais stud at Cooma as often as possible, where she is involved in the selection of genetics for their Charolais breeding program.

While completing her HSC studies at St Paul’s College, Walla Walla, Ms Nesbitt was the senior leader of the Rural Youth team helping with breaking and preparing cattle for local agricultural shows around Albury, Henty, The Rock and Cootamundra, and then entering the college team for the Canberra Royal, Melbourne and Sydney Royal Shows. 

During evenings Ms Nesbitt completed her Certificate IV in Wool Classing with the Riverina TAFE, receiving an award for the highest average mark.

She has a keen eye for livestock and enjoys showing and judging beef cattle. She was reserve junior champion beef cattle judge and reserve junior champion Merino wool judge at Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2015. 

Following this success, Ms Nesbitt was invited to be the Australian RAS representative in New Zealand in both dairy cattle and beef cattle judging and parading.  The opportunity gave her networking opportunities that also saw her return to assist during the NZ showing season for five months over summer.

Ms Nesbitt deferred university entry to take up a position as junior draftsperson at Kotzur Silos, which designs and drafts grain silos and bulk handling systems. Wishing to progress further in this field, she took up a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Wollongong. She is keen to continue design and drafting to assist the primary production in agricultural fields and finds inspiration in all things farming.

Meanwhile, 2019 Nimmitabel Showgirl Ms Martin-Smith is hoping the experience will giver her an opportunity to reconnect with the community in which she spent so much of her youth.

“I was born in Cooma in 1994 and am the eldest of three. Our parents, Andy and Susie Martin-Smith, are graziers,” Ms Martin-Smith said.

“Dad has lived in Nimmitabel his whole life and his parents, Sue and Pete Martin-Smith, are from Gourock. Our family lived at Murrallula on Tom Groggin Rd, until 2002 when we moved to Glenfinnan, Springfield Rd.

“I went to primary school at St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma and used to spend my weekends and afternoons helping out on the farm. I went to boarding school in Year 7, but on school holidays Dad always made sure there was plenty of lamb marking or shearing to help out with.”

Ms Martin-Smith said she returned home after school for a year, working at Birdsnest and “experiencing first-hand the impact that strong women in rural centres have upon shaping opportunities for young people in the area”.

She moved to Sydney to study Design and International Studies at UTS and then spent a year living, studying and travelling in Italy, returning with a greater appreciation for home.

”Having spent so much time away from home, I hope that the showgirl experience will give me an opportunity to reconnect with my local community. I look forward to becoming more involved with the Nimmitabel Show and seeing where this experience leads me.”