Photo by Max Roux

Pat Moran is a bit of a local legend in Shepparton. She’s lived in the town for the last 60 years, raising five children with her late husband Bernie, and contributing an enormous amount to the communities around her through her volunteerism. She’s the sort of person who, if you mention her around town, someone is bound to respond with “oh I know Pat, I worked with her on…”

Now in her 80s, Pat’s seen technology shift and advance an incredible amount during her lifetime, but especially in the past few years. Like so many of us, the COVID-19 lockdowns forced her to interact with different technologies on an almost daily basis. Suddenly, video conferencing, QR codes and healthcare apps were the new normal.  But, with the help of two of her sons, Pat figured out how to use them.

“My ability to use the computer certainly has developed more in the last four years. I started learning how to at the beginning of COVID. My sons were in touch a lot – always – but they weren’t allowed to visit for a while.” 

“My eldest grandson and my two sons in Melbourne and Geelong spent quite a lot of time on a Saturday, giving me lessons about how to do zoom calls in the early days. It took me a while in the beginning, because I thought, goodness me, this is just so difficult you know? Coming out of the air or the sky, or whatever. My son had to explain how it all happens.”

Pat’s newfound digital skills came in handy again in October 2022, when rising flood waters caused her to flee her home and stay with family for a week in Melbourne. Her ability to use technology during that time of uncertainty helped her to keep informed about the situation near her home, and status of her friends and neighbours. 

“I had my phone with me to see what was happening in our street. My 90 year old neighbour sent me photos of what was happening there. And it was up to the bottom step of three, you know. Gave it a lovely wash.”

Technology has provided more for Pat than vital assistance in times of stress and danger. It has also opened her up to a world of entertainment, advocacy and social connections.

“I have one part of my family in America, and they’ve been there for two years. We FaceTimed together recently, just this week. I can now zoom things that I’m interested in, and watch the webinars and things like that. A group that I am involved with, we encourage women to engage more in politics and we’ve ended up with a half and half gender split of the local council. We do meet up in person but a lot of how we communicate is online.”

“Living alone, as I do, it’s been just a blessing for me to have the access and the knowledge to use online. Being online has been good for me. There’s no doubt about that.”

Our Rural Women Online project will be in Shepparton in early-August to deliver a free, hands-on digital intensive event for women in the Greater Shepparton area. It’s an opportunity for women like Pat to come together, play around with different technologies, and have some fun. For more information, head to www.ruralwomenonline.org.au