12/11/2021
AMANDA + ‘FREEDOM’ RED ROSE
Amanda Milton, Lake Grace WA
There is an old proverb that suggests if you want something done, who should ask a busy person. And boy, has this week been busy with the most delightful task of searching, foraging and fossicking across our spectacular state looking for yet another beautiful bloom to add to our ‘Flowers of the Farmacy’ arrangement.
But during this week’s floral adventure, we discovered that we might just have to rewrite that proverb to say: “If you want something done, and done to the most amazing standard, then you should actually ask Amanda Milton.”
Amanda’s relentless pursuit to make the world and her community a better place, inspired our resident Farmacists to populate, calculate and formulate a meticulously researched and peer reviewed plan to send her a bunch of stunning red roses in recognition of her relentless passion to do any job (paid or volunteer) to the highest standard possible.
“I am a Queenslander, born and raised in Ipswich to parents from peanut country in the Kingaroy District. My Parents had very strong community values. Dad was a master of everything, and from him I will try my hand at anything, from welding to mechanic's to construction to machine operation etc.”
Amanda was educated in Dinmore before completing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Rural Technology at the University of Queensland. This enabled her to work for both large corporate and family owned farms in NSW at Collarenebri, Moree and the New England Tableland near Armidale, mainly working with broadacre irrigated cotton, cattle, grain crops and superfine merinos.
In 1994 Amanda decided to head West after scoring a gig at the Lake Grace Department of Agriculture Office, having been recruited by fellow Bananalander Steve Curtin, the Officer in Charge at the time.
Amanda spent two years working in Lake Grace for the department focusing on promoting the resurgence of canola as a crop in WA. She then moved to Northam to become the specialist extension officer of the "Time to Lime" campaign as part of a multi agency approach to addressing acid soils in broad-acre agriculture in WA. Both of these innovations have had a profound impact on WA farm profitability since.
“In Dec 1999 I was asked to come back to Lake Grace as the District Manager responsible for the Lake Grace Office and the Newdegate Research Station at age 29. I ended my career with the Department in 2005 when my husband and I went full time farming. Our farm is 10,000 acres which is a hobby farm around here these days, but it has kept us very busy with just the two of us and we were also caring for my father in law.”
A burst appendix in 2018 was followed by a diagnosis of thyroid cancer. So in 2020 after winning that battle, Amanda started a new career as a Real Estate Agent with Elders, using her agronomic, management and people skills to help people buy and sell property as their circumstances change.
Amanda’s credentials and list of achievements have literally blooming blown us away!
😍She holds bronze, silver and gold in the Duke of Edinbourgh awards.
😍She has represented Queensland in Women’s Cricket both at under age and senior level, and has played cricket in many men's and women's teams across Qld, NSW and WA.
😍Has been a Justice of the Peace in NSW and WA for over 20 years.
😍She has been a member of St John Ambulance for 17 years as a volunteer and a trainer. In 2017 after 5 years of planning and fundraising, Amanda project managed the construction of the St John WA facility in Lake Grace. An $850,000 project that the community were told was unachievable .
😍She is a member of the Local Health Advisory Committee and the District Health Advisory Committee.
🌹Complete these sentences:
- My hidden talent is… puppeteering. I have always loved marionettes, Muppet type puppets and all manner of handmade puppets.
- I’m always surprised by…the strength of people to achieve the impossible.
- Happiness is…being true to yourself and making active decisions about the direction of your life.
- The smell of fresh flowers … renews the soul
- The world needs more…random acts of kindness or thoughtfulness
🌹What is your favourite flower? Sunflowers. You cannot help but smile when you see them, and entire paddocks of them is simply stunning.
🌹If you were a flower, what would you be? I would have to say an Iris as this is my middle name. It is a family name - my grandmother, mother, cousin etc all have it.
🌹Principals to live by? Understand that you are unique (don't be constrained by "normal") and you can achieve anything. Always 'give something a go". Always look for one thing every day that is a random act, pick up that piece of rubbish, open that door, help someone change a tyre, the little things count in life.
