Jumping on every opportunity thrown her way has earned Susie Williams a finals spot in the SA Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award
Susie Williams, one of the three finalists in the 2024 Agrifutures Rural Women Awards, is a proud South Aussie with an affinity for regional areas and a passion for promoting them.
An entrepreneur, she’s combined her love for rural communities with her technical prowess, to develop an online platform providing local news and celebrating achievements, businesses, events and places.
Susie attributes her energy and devotion to SA’s regions to being raised on a farm at Buckleboo on the Eyre Peninsula.
“Being part of a regional community is the lifestyle that I know and love,” she said.
But from Buckleboo to the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, New South Wales and even New Zealand, Susie has experienced life in communities far and wide, due to husband Dave’s career in the wine industry. And as well as raising three daughters in that time, the moves have provided her a platform for her to continually reinvent herself and her career.
“That’s how I roll. Everywhere we’ve moved I’ve jumped on every opportunity thrown at me.”
She admits she’s a “bit of a nutter” when it comes to taking on the big jobs, but since settling down in the McLaren Vale in 2019, Susie’s been able to make the most of all of her passion pursuits. She’s actively involved in Precision Viticulture, consulting to the wine industry in Australia and New Zealand. She’s given inspiration and advice on growing a regional business in her own chapter of the book, Rural Business Woman, and she’s the mastermind behind the successful Fleurieu App.
“When we returned to SA and based our family on the Fleurieu Peninsula, I saw massive potential in connecting and promoting the region,” she said.
And after being part of the team which created the highly successful Marlborough App in New Zealand, she couldn’t wait to build an app for the fabulous Fleurieu Peninsula.
The free Fleurieu App, which has now had 76,000 downloads, allows people to discover the secrets, services and must-sees of the scenic coastal region, from businesses to local news and sport.
“It’s a one-stop-shop for locals and it’s also having a positive spin-off for visitors,” she said.
A very worthy finalist in the SA Rural Women’s Award, Susie’s mission is to inspire other regional women, including her daughters, to take every opportunity that comes their way. And as for her own career goals, keep your eye out in the future for an app celebrating all things local to your region.
