Nov 17 2024 39 mins 2
Melissa Neilsen is a remarkable woman whose journey has taken her from the small Central Queensland town of Biloela, to the expansive plains of North Western Queensland. Growing up on a hobby farm, she’s now settled on some 60,000 acres with her husband, Stewart, and their three children, where they farm Brahman beef cattle.
She’s a mother, wife, and the driving force behind Rural Women’s Exercise, an online fitness group focused on postpartum recovery, after her own experience with pelvic floor dysfunction following the birth of her third.
Melissa is also navigating the complex, often overwhelming journey of securing resources, education, and support for her second child, who has autism and ADHD- a challenge that is both frustrating and all-consuming.
Through it all, she remains a fierce advocate for rural women, mothers, and families facing unique obstacles in both the home and the broader community.
In this season of Life on the Land, we’re shining a light on the new generation of women on the land in Australia.
