About

OAK Magazine is a place to share the stories of women in business from regional and rural Australia.

Founded in Bendigo, the quarterly print publication was launched in September 2017 by Kimberley Furness – a former journalist, local business woman, and mum of four.

OAK is a deliberate shift away from movie stars and models, to celebrate real women that are creating tangible change in regional and rural communities.

Our stories position females to the front. We have courageous conversations.

We feature stories and advice from women who are having a positive impact in their community at a rural or regional level. We cover a range of industries including health, fashion, fitness, beauty, hospitality, construction, mining, farming, creative arts, small business, wellbeing and finance.

We hope our stories of women succeeding in male dominated industries such as mining and construction, inspire others to apply for leadership positions.

We hope our stories of women succeeding with a disability or leaning into their cultural heritage, help to breakdown stigma, stereotypes and barriers.

OAK Magazine supports women in business by engaging the services of businesses owned and led by women within our community. When not possible, we ensure our providers are equally supportive of women in the workplace.

Women’s empowerment is important to OAK Magazine. We are determined to adopt a business model that enables us to help women in a real, tangible way.

Kimberley Furness, Founder + Editor

We're all in this together

Working for yourself will mean early mornings, late nights and constant interruptions if you have little people around. But, it doesn't matter whether it's at home, a fancy studio or in the car waiting for school pick up, you can start and grow a business from anywhere!

OAK Magazine fills you with words of wisdom from women who have been there and done that - sometimes with roaring success and other times with a few hurdles to overcome.

Either way, the best time to start a business is now, and you don't have to ride the rollercoaster of business ownership alone. Our community will leave you feeling inspired, supported, connected, driven and creative.

The meaning behind the name OAK

Well the significance of trees and paper isn’t lost on us but it’s more than that.

In mythology, the oak tree is revered as a storehouse of great wisdom.

It’s a symbol of strength, morale and knowledge.

It grows slowly, but surely at its own rate.

It really is everything we hope that the stories of OAK represent and what we expect of ourselves as a media platform.

Oh, and yes my fourth child Oakley inspired our masthead but I don’t mention that to my other three children!

Get involved

Do you have news?

We want to know what's happening in your region. Submit your news story here.

Are you an expert?

We are creating a database of experts to call on for our deep dive. Register your interest here.

Are you a newshound

If you'd like to be considered as a source of news for your region, or would like to record a segment, register your interest here.

Request a media kit

If you would like to sponsor an episode or invest in She Makes News so we can amplify women's voices in this space, start the conversation or request a media kit via shemakesnews@gmail.com

Or you can "buy me a coffee" - a great way to show your appreciation for our work, and it can also help OAK continue creating the content you love. Donate here.