Father Land #6: Sobriety, Vulnerability & Masculinity on the Land with Matthew Tonkin
What does it mean to be a good man in the bush? For Matthew Tonkin, the answer has transformed over time. Growing up the youngest of five on his family’s farm near the NSW–Queensland border, Matthew believed a man’s worth was in hard work and providing for his family. But as farm debt and expectations mounted, he equated strength with silence—a silence that led to drinking, despair, and darkness. Seven years sober, Matthew now speaks openly about vulnerability, self-respect, and caring for yourself so you can care for others. As a father of four, grandfather, and leader in agriculture, he’s found a new kind of strength rooted in compassion, discipline, and connection. This episode explores masculinity, resilience, and hope—how one man remade his life, and what his journey reveals about the men raising families and running farms across rural Australia.Lifeline: 13 11 14Sober in the Country Father Land is proudly sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions. Get unmatched market access, expertise and results for your livestock and wool. Talk to your local team today: www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/livestockwww.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/woolhttps://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia
--------
1:13:33
--------
1:13:33
Father Land #5: Piers Dumaresq — Rebuilding After Divorce and Putting Fatherhood Before Farming
12 years ago, Piers Dumaresq walked away from the high-flying world of Sydney wealth management, to return home to the family farm in Tasmania with his future wife. On paper, it looked like a tree-change success story: a 200-year-old family farm, marriage, two children, and a future firmly rooted in the soil. But behind the original stone buildings of Mount Ireh, life wasn’t as simple on the family front. Piers’s marriage ended when his children were still little, and in the aftermath he found himself confronting not just the realities of co-parenting and running a farm, but the deeper question of who he was as a man and a father. He hit rock bottom, then rebuilt—choosing to put his kids first, reshaping the family business, and doing the hard personal work to heal. Today, Piers opens up about life on the land, fatherhood, the reason he believes so many marriages fail, and what it means to rebuild after loss while carrying a very big family legacy forward. This is his story.Get in touch with Pier's via https://divorce-recovery-guide.com/ Nutrien has teamed up with the VFF to help farmers facing record-breaking dry conditions by connecting them with drought relief grants, practical resources, and vital mental health support. Nutrien is also helping farmers prepare for tomorrow, with sustainability services that measure and manage environmental impacts like soil health and greenhouse gas emissions. https://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/sustainabilityhttps://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/vff-and-nutrien-ag-solutions-team-help-drought-hit-victorian-farmers https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia
--------
1:01:51
--------
1:01:51
Father Land #4: Dolly’s Dad Tick Everett Speaks on Fatherhood, Family and Fighting On
Tick Everett is a man who never imagined he’d be the face of a national movement. For decades, he worked the land, raised his daughters, and built a life around family and farming. But in January 2018, that life changed forever. At just 14, Tick’s youngest daughter, Dolly, died by suicide after an extended period of bullying and cyberbullying. Soon after, Tick and his wife Kate launched Dolly’s Dream. Today's episode isn’t the story you’ve heard before. With honesty and vulnerability, he opens up in ways he never has before about love, loss, and what it means to keep going when your world has fallen apart. He reflects on resilience, fatherhood, the importance of men speaking up about their mental health, and why even the smallest acts of kindness can matter more than we’ll ever know. This is his story.Since teaming up with Dolly’s Dream in 2022, Nutrien’s people and communities have turned blue each year, raising over $600,000 to help end bullying and improve mental health for young people in rural Australia.. And that’s just part of more than $2.8m invested in projects that strengthen and support regional communities right across the country. Learn more: www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/supporting-communitieshttps://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia
--------
1:14:21
--------
1:14:21
Father Land #3: Ben Wundersitz — From Fat Farmers to Fit Fathers, A Movement Saving Rural Lives
12 years ago on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, three farmers looked in the mirror and didn’t like what they saw. So they founded Fat Farmers, a grassroots movement now inspiring rural communities to get moving, check in on each other, and quietly save lives. One of the founders is Ben Wundersitz, a fifth-generation farmer from Maitland, SA — a state still crippled by drought. Ben shares how those first awkward workouts grew into 35 groups nationwide, the mental health conversations that happen between reps, and what fatherhood means to him after raising two kids with his high-school sweetheart, Belinda. Last month, his impact was recognised when he was named the overall Bush Champion and Ag Champion at the inaugural Bush Champions awards. This is his story.Father Land is proudly sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, a leading agribusiness that draws on more than 180 years of service to Australian agriculture. With a network of over 700 locations nationwide, Nutrien offers more than just farm supplies. Their services span agronomy, livestock marketing, animal health, crop protection, digital ag, finance, insurance, rural real estate, and water management. https://www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia
--------
55:20
--------
55:20
275: From Anxiety to Author: How Renae Black Wrote Her Way Through Motherhood
When Renae Black stepped into her second maternity leave, she was in the thick of postnatal anxiety and overwhelm. Instead of letting it swallow her, she opened her laptop and set herself a challenge: write a book before going back to work. By the time she returned to the office, she had four manuscripts under her belt! Raised on a farm north of Wagga, Renae’s childhood was full of cattle, dogs, snakes and even the occasional ostrich. That sense of small-town grit and community never left her, and now, in Queensland’s Moreton Bay, she balances life as a mum, social worker, and rural romance author. In this episode, Renae reflects on how writing became a lifeline during her hardest seasons of motherhood, how farm life and her social work continues to shape her storytelling, and why love and community will always remain at the heart of her work.Thank you to Blundstone for proudly supporting our Winter season. Built for life on the land and beyond, their boots are made to go the distance and keep up with life’s adventures. Explore the range: https://www.blundstone.com.au Domestic violence or sexual assault support:Lifeline: 13 11 141800 RESPECT or 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 73213 YARN or 13 92 76 for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait IslandersNSW Domestic Violence Line 1800 65 64 63QLD DV Connect 1800 811 811Victoria Safe Steps 1800 015 188WA Women's Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 007 339 https://www.instagram.com/motherlandaustralia
Hosted by Stephanie Trethewey. Motherland shares real, raw, and unbelievable stories of motherhood told by women on the land. Each week, a rural mum from somewhere in Australia shares her motherhood journey. You'll hear stories of true grit, resilience, grief, and pure joy. Motherhood is the most life changing and transformative journey a woman can go through, and it's not always easy. No matter where you live or what you do, we're in this together and you're not alone.
Australia