Ross O’Reilly is a former champion regional rugby league coach, real estate agent and restauranteur, all on the way to founding his ultimate vision in 2016 – High Valley Dawn. It carries the label ‘permaculture farm’, but somehow feels like so much more. Think incredible market garden and food forest, deeply restorative work place and learning centre, grazing animals and thriving community, with all sorts of layers on that. And it’s still just getting started.

I first learned about Ross when Terry McCosker made particular mention of him when he was in WA late last year. Terry’s the legendary founder of RCS Australia who featured on episode 67, and will feature again next week, this time with wife Pam, to talk about the recent Convergence event in Brisbane, among other things. It was after that Convergence event that I drifted back to Yeppoon in central Queensland with the RCS crew, and made tracks for Ross’s place.

The High Valley Dawn journey began for Ross when a passion for wellness and sustainable development collided with a desire to serve fresh, local, organically grown produce in his nearby restaurant Beaches in Rosslyn Bay. His intention to one day create a self-sustaining community that would fulfil these desires, and help inspire future generations to get back to working in harmony with Mother Nature was set. In 2016, the stars aligned. But really, this story goes way further back.

This conversation was recorded at High Valley Dawn, just outside of Yeppoon, Queensland, on 2 August 2022.

Title slide image: Ross O’Reilly at the farm, just before this conversation (pic: Anthony James).

You can see more photos on the episode web page.

Music:
Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now.

Find more:
High Valley Dawn.

New Dawn Gathering on 24 September 2022.

Transcript of our conversation on the episode web page.

Quantum Words Festival in Perth 16-18 September 2022.

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