Queensland Rural Media Award winners announced 2024

Queensland’s Rural Story of the Year shines a light on living remotely with excruciating Endometriosis amidst record entries for the state’s rural media awards

One of the most prestigious accolades for a rural media professional has been awarded to ABC Rural reporters Maddelin McCosker and Abbey Halter for their multimedia story revealing the significant challenges for women living remotely with an Endometriosis diagnosis.

The 2024 Rural Press Club’s Queensland Rural Media Awards, which cover television, radio, broadcast digital multimedia, print and photography were presented in Brisbane including the significant Queensland Rural Story of the Year which is generously sponsored by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.

Ms McCosker and Ms Halter’s multimedia story sheds light on the stigma, isolation and limited healthcare access of the women suffering the sometime debilitating systems of Endometriosis. They explain in the article that Endometriosis causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow in other parts of the body and symptoms include pelvic pain and heavy or irregular bleeding and can only be diagnosed through laparoscopy surgery.

The judges heaped praise on the piece, explaining “Through a combination of video, writing and impactful photos, the reporters have tackled a tricky topic with sensitivity and depth, highlighting the broader issue of inadequate infrastructure and services in rural areas”.

The Queensland Rural Story of the Year is the best story taken from all the entries in the Queensland Rural Journalism category which includes multimedia, print, radio and television, with the winner receiving a $5000 travel bursary to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists annual congress. This year’s congress is being held in Nairobi, Kenya, in October.

The award was kindly sponsored and presented by Mr Graeme Bolton, the Director General of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.

The competition accepts entries of rural stories and photos published between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.

This was a record year of entries with the Rural Press Club receiving a total of 45 entries, with 26 entries accepted from journalists and 19 from photographers, a result the Club is justifiably proud of given the current volatility of the media landscape.

The coveted The Queensland Young Rural Journalist of the Year award was won by tormer ABC Landline digital and social media producer, Meg Bolton.

The awards, sponsored by Healthy, Land and Water (HLW), is for a young journalist aged 35 years or younger (as of 31 December 2025) showing professional skill and leadership potential in his/her profession. 

Ms Bolton’s entry was described by the judges as an exemplary story, “her solution journalism on the Brumby’s was very good, it successfully fleshed out a great story with heart that employed excellent story-telling techniques combined with strong visuals”.

The runner-up was Ben Harden, who is a Rockhampton-based Livestock Journalist with Australian Community Media’s Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register.

The judges said the overall field of entrants was incredibly strong, “A truly inspirational field of applicants”.

The panel were delighted by the high standard of entrants, “Absolutely reassuring for the future of rural journalism is the commitment shown to keeping real and connective stories flowing and to build into mentoring and a range of other pursuits - the future of rural journalism is bright indeed with the aspirations and ethos of these generations pushing up and challenging the status quo - and bringing about positive change”.

The broadcast television, radio and multimedia categories of the rural journalism awards were dominated by the ABC and were sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions with the company’s Briar Handley at the ceremony to make a presentation to the award winners.

ABC Landline’s Halina Baczkowski won the broadcast television category with her entry ‘Lightbulb Lupins - The pulse that could combat malnutrition in older people’. The judges said the story was compelling giving rare insights, “the innovative use of lupins to address a critical issue affecting our aging population”.

There was high praise for the structure of the piece, “With clever moments and plays on words, the narrative brilliantly illuminates the potential of the humble pulse and the story's wide appeal resonates with rural and urban audiences and scientists, making it a worthwhile and impactful subject”. 

The Runner-up in the broadcast television category was ABC Landline presenter and reporter Pip Courtney with her story called ‘Underground Fight’, a report that had already won a Queensland Clarion Award in late 2024.

The story delves into the complexities of carbon storage and capture in the Great Artesian Basin and the judges thought it did an excellent job of balancing environmental protection with industrial innovation, highlighting the broader implications for rural communities and the environment.

ABC Queensland Country Hour presenter Kallee Buchanan’s entry ‘The Previously Untold Story of Paradise Dam’ won the Broadcast Radio segment. With judges noting it “delves into the critical issue of infrastructure and services in rural areas and highlights the essential need for decent infrastructure and services in the bush and the untold challenges and broader crippling implications for entire communities when issues arise”.

The multimedia category was won by ABC Western Queensland duo of Hannah Walsh and Grace Nakamura, both based in Longreach with their entry “Queensland opal mining hangs in the balance after a major land acquisition”.

The multimedia category was won by ABC Rural reporters Maddelin McCosker and Abbey Halter for their entry ‘Endometriosis battle harder for rural women as they fight stigma, isolation and limited health care”, the entry that ended up ultimately winning the Queensland Story of the Year.

Queensland Country Life journalist Sally Gall won the Print award with her series of stories on tick incursions and the effect on the beef industry. Her entry titled ‘Ticked Off’ included several articles covering the issue from outbreak to quarantine and the subsequent fall out. 

The judges said it highlighted Ms Gall’s extensive knowledge on the subject, “showcasing her keen eye for detail and dedication to important topics, she closes in on the issue from many fronts, across the year, representing this critical issue with strong, insightful writing. 

Her approach seamlessly weaves in broader implications for how biosecurity issues can severely impact our regional and rural farms and communities at the drop of a hat” they said.

The runner-up in the print category was ABC Southern Queensland Rural reporter Brandon Long with his entry ‘Saleyards are worth half a dozen psychologists’, a story the judges said “highlights the multi-dimensionality of institutions we often take for granted, emphasising their crucial role in rural life”

Highly commended in the print category was Queensland Country Life journalist Judith Maizey for her extensive coverage of PFAS from Callide Power Station impacts water and beef markets.

The University of Queensland sponsored this year’s Queensland Rural Photography Awards, the competition aims to recognise photographers who capture rural images of Qld people, landscapes and production.

The winner of the people photography category was Aston Brown who was published in The Guardian with his pictures of grazier Jim Dieckmann with lost sheep to wild dogs. The judges said, “the images show an excellent use of available light and a strong selection of poses to support the story”.

The Queensland Country Life’s Judith Maizey’s photograph of cattle producer and inaugural and AgForce General President Larry Acton was the runner-up in the people photography section. The photo of Mr Acton illustrated the issues surrounding the PFAS contamination of his bore water.

Highly commended in the people photography awards was David Martinelli from DC Imaging with his stunning photos of Felicity Burton feeding horses.

In the Landscape section, freelance photographer Paula Heelan won with her image ‘chilly start’, which was published in The Showcase, Australian Photography Magazine.

The judges commented that Mrs Heelan’s photo has some very strong, appealing elements, “I can feel the brisk morning upon seeing the farmer's jumper and melted icicles on the fencing and the mist and silhouetted cattle draw your eyes back to the hills”.

Another freelance photographer, Mandy McKeesick was the runner up in the landscape photography award with her entry ‘Liquid Gold’ published in the RM Williams Outback Australia Magazine.

Highly commended in the Landscape photography awards was ABC Landline’s Cam Lang with his entry ‘A Lettuce Story’.

The production photography category was won by Mandy McKeesick for her photo ‘Goats of Gold’ that was published in The Guardian, the Agnes Water-based photographer’s work was praised by the judges as being visually striking. The judges said, “Captivating use of warm colours to represent the outback, accentuated by dynamic use of light and shadow; a very well executed image freezing in time an otherwise chaotic environment”.

Runner-up in the production photography award was ABC Landline’s Cam Lang with his entry ‘A Lettuce Story’ and highly commended was Geham-based photographer Paula Heelan with her entry ‘best in show’.

The overall winner of the Queensland Rural Photo of the Year was Mandy McKeesick with her ‘Goats of Gold’ entry, it again saw some high praise from the judges, “The variety of angles, light and equipment used skilfully is evident - you can almost feel the movement of goats kicking up dust in this image”.

The Rural Press Club’s Awards Coordinator Ms Carolyn Martin thanked the huge number of entrants into this year’s awards and gave a special mention to the wonderful sponsors of the various categories, without whom the awards wouldn’t be possible.

The event also featured one of Australia’s most respected journalists, Hedley Thomas, share his vast experience as an investigative journalist.

Mr Thomas, The Australian’s national chief correspondent and 2022 Graham Perkin Australian journalist of the year, is one of Australia’s most highly regarded investigative journalists and news breakers. 

He has won eight Walkley Awards including two Gold Walkley Awards. The first, in 2007, for his investigations into the fiasco surrounding the Australian Federal Police investigations of Dr Mohamed Haneef, and the second in 2018 for his podcast, The Teacher’s Pet, investigating the 1982 murder of Sydney mother Lynette Dawson. 

His podcasts have achieved over 100 million downloads and topped charts in Australia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand, changing the face of modern investigative journalism.

The discussion was facilitated by agribusiness lawyer Hamilton Locke, Partner and former Rural Press Club President Mr Trent Thorne.

The Rural Press Club of Queensland is a not-for-profit organisation run by a committee of volunteers that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. 

The Club hosts monthly networking events for rural media and the agribusiness sector in Brisbane and at least one regional Queensland city or town each year.  It relies on the valued support of major sponsors Collier’s Agribusiness, McCullough Robertson and Australian Retirement Trust. 

Contact: RPC President James Nason on mobile: 0487 315 117 or email rpcpresident@ruralpressclub.com.au or Carolyn Martin, RPC Awards Coordinator, 0439 399 886 carolyn.martin@uq.edu.au.

A list of winning recipients of the 2024 Queensland Rural Media Awards can be viewed from the RPC website.

The Club acknowledges the generous sponsorship of the awards by The Queensland Department of Primary Industries,  Healthy Land and Water, Nutrien Ag Solutions, and The University of Queensland.