Mental health and wellbeing advocate wins state AgriFutures Award

Starting off as a small community-led initiative in Dubbo NSW in 2023, sHedway has expanded into a national movement, with Carol promoting mental health awareness by blending healthcare, advocacy, and shearing industry expertise in regional communities in NSW and around Australia.

Carol was up against two other finalists for the NSW/ACT state award - Dimity Smith from Tamworth, founder GRO Rural and GRO Events Group, and Katelyn Wall from Nemingha, co-founder of award-winning beekeeping and pollination business Wall’s Honey Co.

As winner of the award, Carol will receive a $15,000 grant from Westpac to go towards professional development opportunities and alumni networks.

Carol will now represent NSW/ACT at the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner at Australian Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 9 September 2025. The National winner will receive a further $20,000 grant from Westpac and National Runner-Up, an additional $15,000.

All three finalists were sponsored by The Country Women’s Association of NSW, each receiving $1,000 for their self-founded organisations.

The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award celebrates and empowers women driving positive change in rural and regional Australia.

The 2026 Rural Women’s Award nominations will open in September 2025. Find out more information about the Rural Women’s Award, including nomination requirements on the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award web page.

The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring regional, rural and remote women are provided access and opportunities to thrive. This includes programs to support their return to work and economic advancement, health and wellbeing, and empowerment.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty said:

“Congratulations to Carol for your determination to supporting the wool industry into a new, more resilient era.

“Your pioneering efforts have succeeded, and we congratulate you for your well-deserved title as winner of the NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.

“I encourage any woman with a dream to make a positive impact in their regional and rural communities in NSW to be inspired by Carol.

“Her hard work has personally helped the lives of many shearers, giving the industry a well-supported network to grow.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“We are incredibly proud to have Carol taking out the top honour and going on to represent New South Wakes on the national stage.

“She is highly deserving of this award with her incredible achievements supporting regional communities in New South Wales and around the country.

“sHedway is a perfect example of how women can pursue their passion and meet the needs of their community in an innovative way.

“Regional and rural women as some of the smartest and most resilient women I know, and they are unwavering in dedicating their time in supporting their communities to succeed.”

AgriFutures Australia Chief Operating Officer Belinda Allitt said:

“It is very exciting to see Carol announced as the NSW/ACT state winner. As a woman wearing many hats in the industry, it is inspiring to see her marrying up her expertise as a healthcare provider, shearer, and wool handler to create meaningful change for rural and regional communities.

“Mental health support and suicide prevention is a critical service required by our industries and their people and I praise Carol for her dedication and commitment to the prosperity of our industries. We look forward to supporting Carol and sHedway to support others, via her involvement in this award.”

Northern NSW Regional General Manager, Regional Commercial and Agribusiness for Westpac, Andy Kidd said:

“Congratulations to Carol on being named the state winner of the 2025 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. At Westpac, we recognise the key role rural and regional women play in building stronger, more connected communities.

“Carol’s dedication to fostering conversations about mental health in regional communities is remarkable. By drawing on her allied health experience to improve support, particularly in the wool industry, she’s proven what’s possible when women are empowered to lead change, and we’re proud to support her journey.”

2025 NSW/ACT winner

Carol Mudford (Dubbo)

Carol is a Registered Nurse, shearer, and wool handler from Dubbo, NSW. She founded her non-pro-profit organisation sHedway in 2023, which is dedicated to suicide prevention and positive mental health in Australia’s shearing industry.

Carol’s discovery of her passion for shearing in 2020, led her to shearing full-time and she represented NSW as State Novice Champion at the 2023 Sports Shear Nationals. After returning to healthcare as a mental health nurse, she recognised the prevalence of suicide in the shearing community, and the opportunity for change.

With her knowledge of suicide prevention, Carol created sHedway which rapidly grew into a national movement. During 2024, her team delivered 42 events across every state of mainland Australia, promoting mental health awareness and skills at shearing events, talks and industry engagement. Combining her healthcare, advocacy, and shearing expertise, Carol is committed to making mental health a priority in the shearing community.

Learn more about sHedway.

2025 NSW/ACT Finalists

Dimity Smith (Tamworth)

Dimity Smith from Tamworth NSW is a registered psychologist and the founder of two businesses, GRO Rural and GRO Events Group. These innovative businesses connect agricultural and rural communities, industries, and professionals across Australia.

Dimity combines strategic insight with a deep commitment to empowering rural and agricultural communities and helps people in these communities to have greater choice in the work they do, skills to deliver best business practice, and confidence in their abilities.

Dimity’s business GRO Rural was created to focus on challenges and opportunities in rural Australia. These include sustaining remote and contract employment to ensure the longevity of workers, particularly in the dairy industry. This interest was inspired by Dimity’s childhood experience on her parent’s dairy farm. Dimity grew up learning the valuable lesson of hard work and thinking outside the box, which shaped her passion for supporting the sustainability of all agricultural industries and the essential people who keep them thriving.

Learn more about GRO Rural and GRO Events.

Katelyn Wall (Nemingha)

Katelyn Wall is a qualified radiation therapy educator and co-founder of Wall’s Honey Co., an award-winning beekeeping and pollination business based in Nemingha, NSW. Katelyn’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community education led her to build her business around the vital role that bees play in the ecosystem and food supply.

Katelyn’s journey into educational outreach began three years ago when she was invited to lead an interactive beekeeping session at her daughter’s preschool. This hands-on workshop inspired her to start her business focusing on educating children about pollination and its essential role in food production with programs for preschools and community organisations.

Katelyn has expanded the workshops to include interactive beekeeping and beeswax wrap workshops and has extended the reach of her program to aged care facilities, scouts, local gardening clubs, the Country Women’s Association (CWA), and other community groups. Through these initiatives, Katelyn continues to inspire a love for bees, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

Learn more about Wall’s Honey Co.