LLM (Hons) LLB (Hons) BBus (Fin) GradDipLP Certified Chair
At ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥’s 2003-2007
Caitlin McConnel is recognised as a young leader and top agribusiness professional in Australia, and in 2024 was recognised as one of the most influential lawyers in Australasia aged under 40 who have had an extraordinary impact on the profession or society given her unique experience as a sixth-generation farmer and strategic legal advisor. Until December 2024, she worked at Australia law firm Clayton Utz as a commercial litigator and environmental lawyer and has extensive experience acting as a non-executive director for several not-for-profit organisations in the Australian agricultural sector, including as Chair of the Future Farmers Network from November 2021 to November 2024.
Utilising her combined expertise in law and agroecology, Caitlin is now responsible for running her family’s intergenerational farming property, Cressbrook Station, which is the oldest identified family business in Queensland and one of the oldest in Australia still run on the original farm. She manages over 500-head of commercial beef cattle on improved pasture, utilising cell-grazing techniques first implemented by her great-grandfather in the 1920’s to maximise soil health, as well as an emerging pastured egg and apiculture operation. Significantly, Caitlin and her father, Christopher McConnel, are also currently recognised as the only primary producers in Australia with dual-axis solar trackers designed to co-exist with cattle grazing.
In April 2025, Caitlin was appointed by the Hon. Dale Last MP, Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Rural & Regional Development as the first female chairperson of the Queensland Rural & Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), which is a specialist provider of financial assistance, advisory support and disaster assistance programs on behalf of state, territory and Commonwealth government agencies throughout Queensland.
Caitlin is also the Subregion 15 representative for grass-fed cattle producers on Cattle Australia’s Regional Consultative Committee, and is a member of the following committees:
- Queensland Law Society - Water & Agribusiness Law Committee,
- Cattle Australia - Sustainable, Resilient Beef Systems Working Group; and
- Department of Primary Industries (Qld) – ESG Working Group.
Considering Caitlin’s depth of experience across the legal and agricultural sectors, she actively contributes to thought leadership on topics including food security and multi-purpose land use in the context of environmental protection legislation as a keynote speaker, panellist, and published academic.
Caitlin was a boarder at ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥'s, and an avid rower whose most cherished accomplishments include attending ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥'s College in Christchurch on rowing exchange, being Captain of Boats in 2007, being a member of the Open 1st VIII for three consecutive years (2005, 2006 & 2007) and Head of the River Champions in 2004 (Year 9 1st Quad, 2005 & 2007 (Open 1st VIII). Following graduation, Caitlin volunteered as a rowing coach at ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥'s (2008 - 2012), whilst also competing in still water rowing at Commercial Rowing Club (2008), and surfboat rowing at Currumbin SLSC (2010 - 2012). In 2012, Caitlin represented Australia in the Queens Diamond Jubilee River Pageant in London as a member of the Australian surfboat rowing contingent, and as official spokesperson. Caitlin has returned to ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥'s on a number of occasions to mentor students on various topics including law, and mental health and wellness.
Caitlin still maintains a strong connection with ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥’s as a regular guest speaker and past mentor to students through the ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥’s+ Mentoring Program; and was recognised as the Young Past Student of Distinction at the 2024 ̨ž³UUÖ±²¥’s Past Student Awards.
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