Pat Fennell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Grazier (retired)
- Real estate agent (retired)
- Rural advocate
Pat Fennell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933 Charleville, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Advocating for better rural health services for women |
Patricia June Fennell OAM (born 1933) is an Australian rural advocate.[1]
Throughout her career, Fennell held many roles with various organisations, particularly those pertaining to rural women's health.[2]
Fennell has served as a member of the Women's Council for Rural and Regional Women, as a board member of the North Queensland Rural Division of General Practice, and as a member of the National Health Council.[3]
She helped establish the Centre for Rural and Remote Health in Mount Isa and is also credited with helping establish a Diploma of Enrolled Nursing Program in Mount Isa.[1][3]
Fennell has also been active in the agricultural sector. She was the first woman to be elected onto the board of the Cattleman's Union of Australia.[3] She later admitted this was a role she didn't particularly enjoy, stating in 2020: "I didn't stay with them very long, I went down for Melbourne for meetings but it was a different kind of committee then what I wanted to be on... There were a lot of very wealthy and great guys on it but they had a different perspective than where I was coming from, which was a big area and hard to run properties, lots of problems with distance and communications whereas in Melbourne, without being rude, they were fairly spoilt".
Fennell also served as the president of the union's Mount Isa branch, a role she said she enjoyed more because of being able to better relate to the Queensland graziers who she described as "real people".[3] She has also served as president of Mount Isa's Landcare group.[3]
Fennell is credited with establishing the live cattle trade with Indonesia and the Philippines.[4][5]