Dreams do come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them. JOHN UPDIKE

Lisa Thomas trained as an artist before becoming the first female ‘rabbit inspector’ (now known as a ‘pest animal ranger’) in NSW. She was recruited by the Dubbo Rural Lands Protection Board over 21 years ago and can still be found behind the wheel of a ute travelling over paddocks, highways and gravel back roads. Lisa has always loved working in the outdoors and her ‘office’ covers one million hectares. Her daily schedule is anything but routine—in a single day she could be flying in a helicopter surveying plague locusts, advising farmers on best practice pest and animal health strategies, setting mouse baits and helping out at the saleyards. Lisa also finds time to exercise, cook healthy food and maintain a fabulous house and garden. She lives in Wellington with her husband Les and two children Brad and Michael.

What gave you the motivation/inspiration to follow your dream?

When I started looking for work I wanted a rural ‘outside’ job. In school holidays I’d always work at the silos and in a man’s environment so I didn’t really think about the rabbit inspector job as being unusual for a woman. I felt confident that I could do the job because of earlier experiences on our own farm and my many rurally focused holiday jobs. I found out after I’d been offered the position that 46 people had applied and I was the only girl. I didn’t apply for the job to make a women’s liberation stand. I just knew I could do the job as well as anyone else.

At what point did you realise that your dream was actually possible and what was it that made you think you could really do it?

On the day I started the job, the other ranger took a month’s leave because he didn’t want to work with a woman. So initially there was a bit of flack. People said things like ‘bloody female—what would she know? how could she do the job?’ In those days women just didn’t apply for rural outside jobs, so I was a novelty. Over the 21 years of doing that job, there hasn’t been anything that, as a woman, I haven’t been able to tackle. Lifting heavy equipment could have been a problem, but I always try to think smarter and I’m never too proud to ask for help.

When you were a child, what did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up?

As a child I used to watch Harry Butler’s wildlife show on TV and decided I wanted to be just like him—an ecologist. I always knew I wanted to work outdoors and mingle with wildlife. I think eventually I would like to be more involved in the research side of things.

How did your childhood influence you in later life?

I grew up in a farming family (four kids) on a rough block of land 20 km east of Temora. My Dad was killed in a farming accident when I was 15. The rest of the family stayed on the farm. We kept the property going out of sheer determination that it wouldn’t go under. From this rural upbringing, I have a good understanding of the challenges of farming and learned to adore the outdoors.

I left Temora when I was 18 and went to university in Wagga Wagga to study Art. After uni I held two sell-out exhibitions but I soon wanted to get a job and earn some money. There weren’t very many options for women who wanted to work outside, so that’s why I applied for the rabbit inspector position.

Who are your role models?

I admire all strong women who overcome any hardships. I especially admire my Mum, and the strength she provided in keeping the family together during some extremely difficult times, not only in the loss of her husband, but in raising four young children, drought, and a lack of financial income, as no widow pension existed then. Someone a little more prominent I admire is Madonna, the singer, who continues to re-create herself to keep up with the times and has stayed on top of a very competitive industry.

What does success mean to you?

Every day I feel like a success. I get a lot of good feedback from the landholders and farmers I deal with. I am lucky to be in a job that allows me to work in a positive and diverse way with the community. During the plague locust control program the Rural Lands Protection Boards coordinated the response. I’m pleased to say that, along with others on the project team from the government, non-government and community sectors, we managed to get a winning situation happening. This was very rewarding.

What has been one of the biggest barriers you have had to face, what happened, and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges was when we bought a farm and Les was working away on the railways. I had to go back to work to help pay for the mortgage, and I was the one left to hold it all together at home. It was a real challenge juggling full-time work, running the farm and looking after our young family. I’d come home after an 8–10 hour day, grab the kids, go out to the farm 42 km away, fix fences, feed stock, come home, feed the kids, put them to bed, do house chores and then take work calls solidly from 6 pm to 10 pm. Times have changed thank goodness. We now have mobile phones, the kids are older, Les doesn’t travel so much and we no longer have the farm. Looking back now I don’t know how I did it but like so many other rural women, you just do. I was also lucky to engage an older local lady who helped on the home front. Dot was like a grandmother (and still is) and I couldn’t have done it without her.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What is your vision for the future?

The boys should be finished school by then. I love my job but I’m not sure if I will still be doing it in 10 years time. I’d really like to be at home looking after my garden, but I know if I’m not doing something else I’d go nuts. Maybe I could be working part-time in another outdoor-type job, I really don’t know.

What would you like to say to other women who may be just starting out on a ‘Daring to Dream’ journey?

I am concerned that the media portrays women as ultra-feminine and promotes the thinking that being ‘girlie’ is the ultimate goal. I think it is good for girls to get out there and try different things, and get some dirt on their hands. So, girls, don’t be put off by anything. Have a go at it. You never know if you don’t have a go. I had my ‘dummy spit’ a couple of years ago and took time off to explore the ins and outs of working in a nursery café, as I thought that this was what I wanted to do. If you want to take a gamble and try something new, set yourself up so you can — I made sure I had my job to fall back on just in case. If it does work out, then you can go for it, but if it doesn’t, then you haven’t lost anything.