ONCE a week Julia Harpham runs the playgroup in the tiny rural township of Mingoola in northern NSW.
It’s a precious time full of big smiles, hugs from little arms and cries of “Bibi” (Swahili for grandmother) from the happy youngsters.
It’s the same when she visits the primary school, once again the heart of the community, thanks to the tireless efforts of the 67-year-old who helped revitalise the town when she championed a resettlement plan for African refugees.
The retired school teacher, working cattle farmer, refugee advocate and rural dynamo recently received the REX Airlines NSW Regional Woman of the Year Award for her work.
She freely admits it left her gobsmacked. “I was pretty amazed just to be a finalist, then I realised people had to actually vote for me so I was speechless when the award was announced.”
It’s hard to imagine Julia ever being speechless.
In the past few years she has had to bend the ears of government organisations, refugee groups, politicians and naysayers, but the reality of her dream is evident in the school and playgroup, and in the acceptance and generosity of the community.
In 2013, Mingoola, like many other small rural towns, was in decline. An ageing population and fewer children meant the community would soon lose its school; and farmers found it increasingly difficult to attract workers.
With the support of the local progress association, Julia and husband Philip, a rural vet, began looking at the possibility of bringing refugee families to the area.
“We wanted people with rural experience who would understand what it was to live in an isolated rural area,” Julia said.
Mingoola is almost 60 kilometres from the nearest town of Tenterfield.
It took time and considerable effort, but eventually three refugee families – two from Wollongong and one from Adelaide – moved to town, bringing an extra 29 people to the community.
“It’s been a long process, but at the end of the day we’re all very happy,” said Julia, who is working with the new arrivals on developing a garlic growing industry.
The mother of three children and seven grandchildren – though Julia now claims 28 grandchildren as all the African children call her Bibi – grew up in the Mingoola area. After marrying and raising three children in Queensland and overseas, Julia and Philip moved back to the area in the 1980s to settle on their property, Moorabinda.
Julia divides her time between the refugee project, helping run the property, mustering on her “fat pony” Aggy, doing some occasional teaching, running the Mingoola Facebook page, being a member of the Country Women’s Association (she admits being terrible at cake making), writing, painting and drawing. She would love to be a better photographer!
The Regional Woman of the Year Award is part of the NSW Women of the Year Awards, which recognise and celebrate the contribution made by women to industry, community and society.
Julia and Philip are also Tenterfield’s 2017 Citizens of the Year.