Lucy Kirk and Claudia Humphries are contesting the 2024 Condobolin Young Woman competition.
Judging took place on Friday, 16 August at the Condobolin RSL Club. Ed Thomas (2016 Royal Agriculture Society of NSW Rural Achiever), Caitlin Herbert (2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show Showgirl Finalist) and Paris Capell (2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show Young Woman Runner Up) were the judges for this year’s competition.
Lucy, 23, describes herself as a Journalist/Entrepreneur who is “particularly ambitious about becoming an expert writer and author, a goal I am currently working towards within my role as the Senior Journalist at Writers Who, a prominent ghost-writing company for businesses in the agricultural, real estate and finance sectors.”
“By June next year, I hope to have made a giant leap in this direction with the publication of a poetry anthology containing submissions from women all across Australia, written and curated by myself and the team at Writers Who.
“I am also highly ambitious about mastering all aspects of business, a goal I am actively pursuing through the company my partner and I co-founded, Murda Lighting, an LED work lights business.”
Lucy believes women who choose to live on the land can achieve anything they set their mind to.
“I am passionate about changing the narrative that young women need to leave Condobolin to find fulfilling opportunities,” she said.
“I love this town and believe there is a significant place for women here, beyond the traditional roles often expected of them.
“By participating in the AgShows NSW Young Woman Competition, I aim to demonstrate that women can indeed have rewarding careers, fulfilling family lives and satisfying social lives within rural communities.
“This platform will allow me to showcase that staying in the bush doesn’t mean sacrificing professional or personal growth.”
Her hobbies include writing, sport and exercise, reading, cooking, watching live comedy and theatre and photography. Lucy’s sporting interests are gym training, pilates, hockey and Cross Fit.
Lucy is a current member of the Condobolin PAH and I Association, volunteered as a judge at St. Joseph’s Public Speaking Competition in 2023, served for three years on the Lachlan Arts Council, and is a Volunteer at the Don Brown Memorial Merino Ewe Competition.
Claudia, 24, is a governess for a local farming family and a Teaching Student at the University of New England.
She is passionate about ensuring agriculture is in the spotlight both in classrooms and in the community.
“I hope to become a passionate agriculture teacher and play a large part in bringing agriculture programs into primary schools to ensure children are educated about agriculture from a young age,” she said.
“I would also like to work with show society’s all across Australia and work on creating educational agriculture programs for people in cities and towns to learn about agriculture, and more importantly where their food comes from.
“I would love to travel to other parts of the world where agriculture is a main industry and continue to build my skill set in areas I am passionate about, by diving into any course, program etc that is going to further my skills and education.”
Claudia entered the competition to improve her communication skills and to nurture relationships that can help her promote the positive messages of agriculture.
“I want to better myself in my communication skills. I have started to really enjoy communicating with people and emceeing at local shows and events so I thought this may be a great way to build connections and build upon my social skills,” she explained.
“With my large passion for agriculture in the educational sector I feel as though this competition would be a great chance to network in order to create relationships and connections with people that could help facilitate my passions.”
Her hobbies include spending quality time with her friends and family, working with cattle and other stock, and helping her family with their stud cattle. When it comes to sport, Claudia enjoys playing netball, swimming, tennis and cricket.
Claudia has a long association of helping at rural shows including stewarding in Cattle at the Royal Bathurst Show &/or Armidale Show from 2014 to 2024; and Emceeing Cattle Sections at Royal Bathurst Show.
The winner of the 2024 Condobolin Young Woman competition will be announced at the Official Opening of the Condobolin Show at 12.30pm on Saturday, 24 August.