On a beautiful November night, the Peter Cullen Trust had the privilege of co-hosting a very special gathering at Beltana Farm, Canberra; a dinner to honour the life, legacy and leadership of Leith Boully. We imagined an evening that brought together the organisations, communities and people shaped by Leith’s courage, humanity and fierce commitment to collaboration. What unfolded was exactly that: many voices, many views, one connected community.
Together with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, Australian Water Association, Water Services Association of Australia, eWater, WaterTrust, CSIRO, and the Murray–Darling Basin Authority we created the space Leith herself would have loved.
Everyone in the room carried their own threads of connection to Leith. Some had served on Boards with her; others learned beside her through leadership programs; some had worked with her as Chair, advisor or colleague; many had been inspired through PCT programs she shaped; others never met her but felt the imprint of her influence – like a tattoo – in places she had touched.
Leith’s Recipe for Leadership, placed at every seat, grounded the evening. Her timeless invitation — to fill our leadership “pot” with curiosity, courage, humility, shared goals, accountability and adventure — became the catalyst for an evening of rich conversation and story-telling about leading together.
Leith never let anyone off the hook. Her questions — “So… what are you going to do?” and “What impact will you have?” — continue to challenge us.
Let’s take this moment to commit to using our collective powers and her combined ingredients to break down silos, strengthen community, inspire collective action and, above all, offer hope for the future.
