Photo: The Hon. Jodie Harrison MP (NSW Minister for Women, Seniors, and the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault), Katelyn Wall (Finalist), Carol Mudford (Winner), Dimity Smith (Finalist) and Andy Kidd (Westpac).
Carol Mudford, a registered nurse, shearer and wool handler from Gilgandra has been named the 2025 New South Wales AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner for her trailblazing work in suicide prevention and mental health awareness within Australia’s shearing industry.
In 2023, Carol founded sHedway, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting positive mental health in shearing sheds across the country.
Drawing on her unique dual experience in healthcare and the wool industry, Carol recognised the urgent need for culturally relevant, grassroots support services tailored to the challenges faced by shearers and shed workers…