Event Recap: Women Who Venture Evening
Community Events
Women Who Venture
Event Recap: Women Who Venture Evening
Venture Hunting Staff | 08.04.2026
When we decided to launch the ""Women Who Venture"" initiative at our Brisbane store, we wanted to create a space dedicated to supporting and growing women’s participation in hunting across Australia. The turnout absolutely blew us away. 100 women showed up for an incredible evening of storytelling, education, and community. The idea for this ladies-only night actually came from our staff member, Tobias, and it was amazing to see it come to life.
The goal for the night was simple: break down the barriers to entry, share raw stories from the field, and connect women who want to harvest their own food.
Table Of Contents
The Premiere
We kicked the night off with an exclusive world premiere of a film featuring our panelist Melanie Kirley. Produced by Wade, the film beautifully captured Mel's lifelong journey in the outdoors, revisiting her roots, hunting Tasmanian fallow bucks in the rut, and fly-fishing for wild trout. It was the perfect tone-setter for an evening focused on ethical, field-to-fork lifestyles.
Meet the Panel
Our panel featured some of the most inspiring female hunters and spearfishers in the region. Due to a hilarious ChatGPT mix-up during our marketing push, we accidentally introduced Rachel Lynch as an ex-Olympic gold medalist in field hockey. Rachel was quick to humbly set the record straight, and we all had a great laugh about it. Here is the real lineup of powerhouse women who shared their stories:
Rachel Lynch
Co-founder of Dog & Gun Coffee, Rachel is a former Sydney city kid, vet nurse, and vegan. She got into bowhunting in her late twenties and exclusively bow hunts today.
Alex Edwards
Alex placed 2nd at the 2023 World Spearfishing Championships in Spain. She now works as a commercial pearl and urchin diver in the freezing waters off New Zealand.
Carla Pound
An expedition leader for National Geographic and Alumnus of Alone Australia. Carla is an instructor for the Army Reserves combat survival training school.
Melanie Kirley
Mel has been hunting since childhood. She shot clay targets competitively for Australia before returning to her hunting roots and running an outdoor media agency.
Catherine
Joining from New Zealand, Catherine is a spearo and former vegetarian who believes if you are going to eat meat, you should be able to take the life of the animal yourself.
Key Takeaways
Harvest is a Fraction of the Hunt
Rachel shared that the actual harvest is only 10 percent of the experience. The rest is about being immersed in nature, observing wildlife, and disconnecting from city life.
Zero Waste & Respect
Alex and Catherine discussed utilizing fish frames, cheeks, and wings for stock or dumplings, ensuring that nothing goes to waste and the animal is fully respected.
A Resilient Mindset
The recurring theme was self-reliance. As Carla noted, there is something deeply empowering about knowing you have the skills to step into the bush and provide for yourself.
Photo Recap
A closer look at the people, moments and details from the Brisbane Women Who Venture evening.
Stay Involved
To the 100 women who packed out the store, asked questions, and shared their own hunting journeys: thank you. The energy in the room proved that xthe future of women in hunting is incredibly bright.
If you missed out on this event, make sure you subscribe to our mailing list. We will definitely be hosting more Women Who Venture nights in the future.
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