Catherine Marriott to headline YP Rural Women’s Day
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CATHERINE Marriott OAM will headline the second Yorke Peninsula Rural Women’s Day on Sunday, October 18, at The Stables at Halcyon, Sandilands, emceed by 7NEWS presenter Casey Treloar.
Ms Marriott, a Nuffield scholar, received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to agriculture and regional communities, and speaks nationally and internationally on rural leadership and the power of connection.
After a sold-out first year, the event is back with more room to relax, more to do and more time to simply catch up.
There will be four hands-on experiences run by local small businesses including a Bloom Bar with Little Kalkabury Farm, a community canvas with artist Belinda Wundersitz from The Perfect Pot, scent and hand- cream making with Angela Hamilton from Zeste, and Vinyl on the Verandah with Neil from Peninsula Records and Books.
Picnic tables and umbrellas on the lawn will provide comfortable seating for speaker sessions.
Co-host and Halcyon Stables owner Nicky Mattschoss said the day was built around one simple idea: giving rural women an afternoon that was entirely their own.
“Most of the women who come are the ones holding everything together — at home, on the farm, in the business, in the community,” Mrs Mattschoss said.
“For five hours, someone else is doing the food and someone else has organised the day. All they have to do is turn up with their friends.”
Event organiser and co-host Natasha Mahar said the aim for 2026 was to bring the best to the peninsula, back the people who live here and give guests what they asked for.
“The number one thing we heard after last year was more time with the girls,” Ms Mahar said. “We’ve built it in less formality, picnic tables on the lawn, and nothing rushed.”
Proceeds from the day’s raffle will fund Women’s Care Packs — the toiletries and essentials a woman needs when she is admitted to hospital.
Last year’s packs were delivered to Yorketown, Maitland and Wallaroo Hospitals, with an additional $1000 donated to each.
Wallaroo’s acting director of nursing Amanda Waters wrote to organisers to say the packs contained exactly what a patient needed and gave comfort and dignity to women during their stay.
“That letter is the whole reason the raffle exists,” Ms Mahar said.
“A woman turns up to hospital with nothing, and because 150 women had a good afternoon at the Halcyon Stables, there’s a care pack waiting for her.”
The event will run from noon to 5pm and includes a welcome cocktail, roaming food from Ash Catering and four new experiences.
“This Sunday (event) is all about coming together, enjoying each other’s company, sharing a few laughs and being inspired by Catherine and Casey,” Ms Mahar said.
“Add in beautiful food, good wine in relaxed surrounds of Halcyon — a perfect Sunday.”
Tickets are $160 through Humanitix at https://events.humanitix.com/yp-rural-women-s-day/tickets.
