Kerry's Story
Gentle Influence on Critical Matters
Unlike many others with a vision and good intentions, Kerry Yelland, achieved outcomes and influenced the course of many lives locally. Kerry was a ‘quiet leader’. She wasn’t front and centre, but boy was she a driven woman – this drive and passion was relentlessly focused on improving services and outcomes for our rural community and living life on the land – across health care, education, and agriculture.
Kerry in the Community
Kerry was a vocal and positive advocate for women’s health, and she worked tirelessly engaging with fellow passionate business owners who were on the same path (which used to drive Peter crazy at times!). This drive stemmed from Kerry’s own journey birthing her three boys locally, and the need for the highest quality care and services in rural areas at vulnerable times in women’s lives, to match that of the city services.
From teaching business at TAFE, advocating for young mum’s health and services, influencing policies and practices in early childhood, mentoring young skilled people in the agricultural industry and business, and diversifying the PY Agronomy operation – Kerry Yelland undoubtably packed a lot into her 38 years. Kerry’s vision for high quality health services for women in the Central West was well known to many in the region. She always spoke so passionately and planned this vision right down to the engagement of an architect and a builder just prior to her death. Kerry dreamed of bringing Gynaecologists, Obstetricians, Women’s Health Physios, Nurses, and the like together to close gaps for rural mums and their families. Kerry advocated for a space where visiting specialists were accessible and utilising the space for paediatric sensory gyms for visiting Occupational Therapists and other development professionals.
Kerry never relented in this pursuit for rural kids, mums, and their families. This drive and focus extended to her many roles and hats – as devoted Mum and engaged parent of the Parkes Early Childhood Centre (PECC), Kerry advocated for high quality early childhood education and as former Director of PECC Collette Genet-Marks highlighted – Kerry led the research into the importance of ensuring young children participated in large muscle/gross motor play.
As a result, Kerry proactively influenced the PECC leadership team to provide additional experiences for young children to refine large muscle coordination, strength, and flexibility. Kerry then assisted PECC with the implementation of this valuable program extension and dedicated many volunteer hours to achieve this vision – this extended to supporting physical and mental health well-being of young children, and promoting families’ voices, involvement and understanding of the components of high-quality early childhood education.
Kerry’s genuine, sincere, and proactive approach was and continues to be appreciated by the PECC community, their families and beyond - her friendly, inquisitive, and understanding nature has left a lasting and tangible impact on the early childhood sector in Parkes.
Family and Friends of Kerry’s
Louise Callaghan who had a rare and precious insight into Kerry’s drivers and
achievements as one of her closest friends – reflected: Kerry breathed life into the Parkes community, like water on the farm bringing crops and seeds to life, Kerry was relentless in her pursuit to impact the community for the better – whether it was health, sporting life, nutrition – it was never about her, she would always create a new way to influence positively – like pushing to have the best homegrown veggie award at the local show for the best decorated fruit or veggie for preschoolers to promote nutrition, awareness and fun.
Kerry is remembered as a breath of fresh air - always ready for a laugh and cheeky in nature, which has undoubtedly passed onto her boys (which Peter is feeling the full wrath of!). There was a unique ability in Kerry to be able to bring people together and Kerry was a trusted mentor to first-time mothers, admired for her role as a busy mum to her three boys, wife to Peter and her significant role in being ‘the brains’ of the PY Agronomy business.
Kerry’s PY Agronomy Business Influence
Kerry had a balance between taking a visionary and strategic approach to the PY Agronomy operations and innovations, and a laser sharp focus on understanding clearly the value of a client to our small business and how much their success meant to our business. Kerry saw that our clients were our partners rather than clients. We are heavily invested in our partners’ success and failures and that’s what differentiates us from our competitors - we are invested for the long term and this continues as strongly as Kerry and Peter’s first day in business together.
Kerry had a passion for business and was the eternal optimist - however her underlying motivation was to conduct business that would benefit the community first and foremost, over and above generating exorbitant profits and this continues as a central value of our PY Agronomy operation today. Kerry’s ventures and constant generation of ideas meant Peter often remained the personal handbrake on certain directions! One handbrake Peter will not be – a collaborative co-working office space to bring communities of professionals together in one fresh space – this project is currently being explored.
As Peter recalls often, Kerry was always on a passionate mission to improve something– health outcomes for young mums, her Parkes community, a specialist hub to draw critical professionals to town, or providing endless opportunities and experiences for her boys to thrive. The four Yelland boys often found that a day on the farm was a nice breather for Kerry to focus on another project or another initiative, while always returning to a huge smile and genuine interest in what we had been up to. The boys will always know they got their sporting prowess and determination from their mum, amongst so many beautiful, genuine traits that Kerry gave the local community, her friends and most importantly her family who will carry on the vision and legacy.
Kerry Yelland was proud of her upbringing in rural Australia, was humble and full of love for her family, her friends, life and living on the land. (Apart from Peter!) agriculture was Kerry’s main love and she was always happiest outdoors in wide open spaces. Kerry and Peter always dreamt of raising a family on the farm where everyone was most comfortable and free. Kerry was the glue to the Yelland and McMahon families and this extended to the Parkes community and further. Kerry’s impact, her passion, her drive, and her infectious kind personality are the driving force behind the continued growth, adventure and core memories
of her boys, Peter, her family and the community.