GENEVIEVE HEBART

Wife, mother, grandmother, farmer, Market Manager, CWA, Soroptomist, Local Health Care Cluster, Food Barossa, SA Farmers Market Managers, State rep Australian Farmers Market Association, Chief Steward, Mt Pleasant Show, Public Officer, Tungkillo Progress Club, Chairman Mt Pleasant Street Party

The Juggler of many balls

RESILIENCEThe capacity to cope with change and

challenge and bounce back during difficult times

Women are angelsWhen someone breaks our wings,We simply continue to flyUsually on a broomstickWe’re flexible like that!

Born on 30th March 1951

My mother used to tell me that the week I was born there was a heat wave with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day for a week.

She used to lie in a cold bath to keep cool

I suspect that indicates a level of resilience by my mother, absorbed by me in the bath!

Resilience when I began Nursing at 16 .

Wow…no prep nursing school then. Wards with a mind-blowing array of people of all ages and levels of illness …and of course the older nurses taking advantage of the innocence and naivety of a young person.

4 years of training, and midwifery for another year

Married and moved to a farming life

Real change .A large farm in the South East Cooking for JackaroosHelping with farm work even whilst pregnant.Elizabeth Rose was born.

Change again,

Farm in Esperance in W.A

Resilience profound : husband away all day, pregnant, toddler, unreliable phone, genset, kero fridges, wood stove and water heater, nearest neighbour 40 k, Esperance 80 k, cow to milk.

Benjamin born

Loved Esperance, sorry to leave, mother ill.

Resilience: Death of Mother

Managed tea rooms mother had established.

Back to nursing , night duty, tea rooms , cooking, serving scones, tea.

Juggling balls again mother , wife, nurse/midwife and tea rooms manager

Change againBack in SA

Nursing , children at school

Resilience Diploma in Nursing . University life a real challenge.

Resilience, travelling…. Gawler to Sturt College at Bedford Park

Working full time.

Resilience : Founding parents of Trinity College in Gawler

Many weekends restoring old school desks and chairs, building ovals, planting lawns, creating playgrounds, and planting trees

Resilience:Vice Chair of first Board of Governors

Change again:

Move to Lyell McEwin Hospital

Assistant Director of Nursing

Director of Nursing for 12 months

Degree in Nursing FMC

Resilience with death of a beloved father

Change to Director of Nursing, Regional Country Hospital

Change to Chief Executive Officer

Resilience when used as a management consultant to other hospitals

Change again:

Busy times, Bought a small farm, realising a dream

Prime lambs and wool. Bred geese. Interesting exercise! 100 geese at one stage, incubating eggs, care for the goslings, free range.Problems with foxes and crows.Decided we were paying people to eat our geese :Gave up geese!

Resilience: Working full time Post graduate Certificate Health Admin: FMC Manager for 5 country Hospitals Many hours on the road ,over night stays Rewarding job

Government restructure Applied for job. lost it “outstanding candidate from NSW”

Redeployee

Outstanding candidate lasted 7 months

Voluntary separation package.

Disillusioned. All resilience into action!

Change again:Managed a restaurantChallenge and resilience!

Business award

Chef was a challenge 2 years.. it was either me or him.We both went….Enthusiastic young couple took over

Next challenge and change!Established a Farmers Market at Mt Pleasant.Business plan and systemsInteresting and exciting Great food producersMany challenges thrown up during the last 3 yearsFantastic market : great experience

What next?Lots of thoughts, opportunities and challenges as I get to know and work with an inspiring group of women in the Mt Pleasant Community

Watch this space!