A Rural Lifeline
To Jo, it’s the comfort of knowing she’s not alone.
Jo French is the first to admit that life as the owner of a sheep station in outback South Australia's Gawler Ranges is as rewarding as it is exhausting and isolating.
During shearing season, Jo and her husband employ dozens of workers on their property — in a single day, Jo might be required to prepare meals, travel into town to source urgent machinery parts, all while providing hands-on help in the yard.
Jo believes that the biggest challenge on the station is the remoteness, isolation not having someone to talk to face-to-face.
"If I'm having a bad day, you can't just walk around the corner and have a coffee with a friend," Jo said.
Last year, Jo's father was diagnosed with cancer, and with only three months to live moved to Adelaide for full-time care.
The time and emotional pressures of juggling family and work commitments led Jo to breaking point.
Watch the video to hear Jo's story.
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