Alana Johnson

Alana is widely recognised for her work in rural development and gender equality. In January 2020 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to women.

A pioneer of the rural women’s movement in Australia, Alana is a founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture Inc. and former President of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women.

Alana is the Chair of The Victorian Women’s Trust, the state’s peak women’s advocacy body. In 2018 Alana was appointed to the inaugural Ministerial Council on Women’s Equality in Victoria and was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.  

Alana Johnson was the Rural Women’s Award Victorian winner and Australian runner up for 2010.  Alana was named in the inaugural 100 Women of Influence in Australia by the Australian Financial Review and the inaugural 100 Women in Australian Agribusiness by Rural Press.

Alana is a founding member and past President of Voices for Indi, the acclaimed democracy project that has seen Indi be the first electorate in Australia to elect an Independent Member to follow an Independent Member of Parliament.

Currently Alana is Dep. Chair of the Victorian Catchment Management Council and a Director of Goulburn Murray Water.

Recognized for her rural activism, Alana has been a panel member on ABC Q+A and featured in the book Women’s Word of Wisdom, launched by the Governor General to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.  

In 2019 Alana received a Distinguished Alumni Award from La Trobe University. She has been awarded an Australian Post Graduate Scholarship to undertake her PhD research at Monash University. Alana is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Alana is fifth generation family farming engaged in cattle production, farm forestry and an award-winning habitat restoration near Benalla in NE Victoria.