Rachel Ward may be best known for her iconic film and television roles, but these days, you’re more likely to find her out in a field than on a film set.
The British-born actress, who calls Australia home, proudly calls herself ‘a cow hand’ as she manages her 350-hectare property in the New South Wales Nambucca Valley.
The 68-year-old shares the farm with her Aussie actor husband, Bryan Brown, 78, with the two screen legends enjoying the lifestyle it provides.
Despite the hard work it takes to run a farm, Rachel feels ‘free’ there, it’s revealed in an upcoming episode of Australian Story.
A major motivation for starting the farm was offering organic meat, with Rachel inspired to adopt a paddock-to-plate method to alleviate some of the environmental concerns around cattle farming.
‘You can go, “I like the way they’re treating their animals, I like what they’re doing with their land”,’ Rachel told the program.
Rachel Ward (pictured) is more likely to found out in a field than on a film set these days
The British-born actress, who calls Australia home, proudly calls herself ‘a cow hand’ as she manages her 350-hectare property in the New South Wales Nambucca Valley
‘You can buy that meat that has come through a system that you approve of.
‘In the cities, we’re so disconnected from where our food has grown and how it’s grown that we’ve just put the blinkers on and we’ve stopped looking.’
Rachel says that a bout of depression following the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 led her to worry about climate change and the world she was leaving her grandchildren, and prompted her to commit to sustainable farming.
Rachel lives at the Nambucca property full time, while Bryan, who is still a working actor, commutes back and forth.
Bryan told Australian Story that while the couple’s life on the farm is a change of pace, it’s not a slower lifestyle by any means.
‘She’s bloody loving it and fully involved,’ the actor said of his wife.
‘I can’t get over how much she does, but she loves it. That’s all that counts.’
The actress, who these days only occasionally appears in film and television projects, says that the glamour of her acting career is the least of her concerns.
The 68-year-old shares the farm with her Aussie actor husband, Bryan Brown (left)
Rachel has long ago turned her back on the trappings of fame and glamour, and spoke out against age-shaming critics on social media earlier this year
‘I’m so past caring about what people think about one’s appearance or age,’ Rachel said.
‘All I want to hear is, “Actually, Rachel’s cows are looking pretty good”.’
Rachel has long ago turned her back on the trappings of fame and glamour, and spoke out against age-shaming critics on social media earlier this year.
The Thorn Birds star was slammed with cruel comments after posting a clip online in which her grey hair and wrinkles could be seen.
‘WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, DEAR GOD?’ asked one person while another said, ‘She looks ravaged’.
Responding to a fan who had defended her appearance, Rachel wrote: ‘I just feel sorry for those poor souls who fear ageing so much.
‘They will learn that it’s ultimate freedom as a woman to let youth and beauty go.’
Rachel told Daily Mail: ‘Women fear being judged and criticised for ageing naturally. They feel they have to hang on to their youth and are resorting to rather drastic ways of doing it.
‘But let it go! And much bounty will come from it.’