Cathy McGowan grew up in North East Victoria and was raised on the family farm in the Indigo Valley near Wodonga. Educated in Beechworth and later in Melbourne, Cathy has qualifications in economics and agriculture.  She began her career in rural Victoria working as a teacher in Wangaratta, and then as electoral assistant for Ewen Cameron, the Federal Member for Indi, in the 1980s and later with the Victorian Department of Agriculture. 

 
In the 1980s Cathy bought a farm in the Indigo Valley and established a rural consulting business working with communities and farming families on issues such as Home and Community Care, child care and care for people with cancer. She understands the challenges facing small business, and community groups and she continues to volunteer extensively within her community and overseas. Cathy has also worked as an academic, researcher and company director. Her passion is supporting rural communities to have a strong voice in the decisions that affect them.
 
Cathy’s service has been acknowledged with an Order of Australia, a national Centenary medal, and the award of a Churchill Fellowship. Cathy is standing as an independent candidate in the 2013 election for the federal seat of Indi in order to provide voters with a real choice for representation on issues that matter to them.