A quiet force for change in the outback
In the red dust of Mount Isa, where the sun beats fiercely and community ties run deep, Candida Blackwell has become a quiet force for change.
The UniSQ-trained mental health nurse, community leader, and suicide prevention advocate has become a vital thread in the fabric of the town, earning recognition as the 2025 Backbone of the Bush Award winner.
The award honours the often-unseen partners of rural doctors who make extraordinary contributions to their communities. Candida and her husband moved from Brisbane to Mount Isa when he began his GP training.
“We were both ready for a change and open to something new,” she said.
“I reached out to the Service Director to ask if there might be any opportunities for a mental health nurse with my background.
“As it turned out, they were looking for someone to help develop their suicide prevention pathway of care – it felt like a perfect fit.”
The professional alignment was immediate, but life in a remote town required personal adaptation too.
“There aren’t as many activities here as we were used to in Brisbane, so you learn to think outside the box about how you spend your time and where you find meaning,” she said.
“But Mount Isa is the kind of community that, when you give to it, it gives back in ways you couldn’t imagine. That kind of energy is incredibly grounding.”
Candida’s connection to UniSQ is more than academic, providing critical grounding for her career.
“UniSQ is really where my interest in mental health was first seeded,” she said.
“It wasn’t just about clinical training; it was a place that held me through one of the hardest times in my life, when I lost both of my parents to cancer.
“That experience profoundly shaped the kind of nurse I wanted to be, someone who shows up with empathy, especially when people are at their most vulnerable.”
After completing her undergraduate degree in nursing, Candida returned to UniSQ to complete a Master’s in mental health nursing, building the expertise she would later bring to her role in one of Australia’s most challenging public health areas – suicide prevention.
In Mount Isa, Candida leads suicide prevention and aftercare coordination across the North West Mental Health, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Service. Her work is about more than intervention; it’s about transformation.
“I’ve always been drawn to the parts of healthcare that ask deeper questions – about meaning, systems, and how we show up for people in ways that are thoughtful, respectful, and responsive,” she said.
“What drew me in was seeing how many people fall through the cracks, not because they’re unwilling to engage, but because the system isn’t always set up to respond in ways that are timely, compassionate, or culturally safe.”
That insight is now central to her work developing a culturally sensitive Suicide Prevention Pathway in the region.
“This isn’t about applying a generic model to a remote context,” she said.
“It’s about listening, adapting, and walking alongside community to create something meaningful.
“It’s slow work, but important work, because when someone is in distress, the response they receive should be one of care, connection, and consistency.”
When she’s not leading service design or facilitating aftercare, Candida is often working with her hands – running Tumbleweed Atelier, a creative business born from her love of textiles and natural dyeing.
“It started as a creative outlet – a way to ground myself through the slow, tactile process of making,” she said.
“It’s grown into something that supports my own wellbeing and sits alongside my advocacy work in a way that feels really natural.”
Tumbleweed Atelier sells handmade clothing and accessories, with all proceeds supporting the Mount Isa Suicide Prevention Network. But Candida says the real magic happens in the quiet conversations at market stalls and workshops.
“I have lots of incidental conversations about mental health and the work we do,” she said.
“It’s not a big campaign – it’s just woven in, gently, like the rest of the work.”
As Chair of the Mount Isa Suicide Prevention Network (MISPN), Candida has helped grow a grassroots movement grounded in dignity, support, and community action.
“Being part of MISPN has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time here,” she said.
“Many of us have been personally affected by suicide – this is a community that is hurting, and our work is about walking alongside that grief and building spaces for connection and healing.”
Candida said being nominated for the Backbone of the Bush Award by her husband was unexpected and deeply moving.
“The Backbone of the Bush isn’t about being the loudest voice – it’s about quietly showing up, being consistent, and helping hold things together in ways that matter.”
“Don’t underestimate what’s possible in a remote community. Yes, there are challenges, but there’s also deep purpose and the chance to be part of something real."
Learn more about studying Nursing at UniSQ.
