Vale - Elizabeth Boughen

13/01/2000 – 11/01/2023

THE life of local cattlewoman, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Boughen who tragically died just two days before her 23rd birthday was celebrated at a service at the Rosewood Uniting Church on January 19.

Family friend, Will Mogensen, officiated at the service.

Lizzie, who lived in Rosewood, passed away while surrounded by family on Wednesday January 11, 2023 after a short battle with an auto-immune disease.

She was hospitalised in early December where she soon developed complications.

Lizzie leaves behind parents Noel and Vicki, sister Emma, brother Ben, and partner Aidan Thomas.

Emma said Lizzie was passionate about helping others, particularly young people, to get involved in what the cattle industry and agricultural shows had to offer, and was always ready with, a warm smile and gentle encouragement.

“She was the most genuine and kind person and if you looked up ‘have a go’ in the dictionary, you would see a photo of Liz,” Emma said.

“She wanted to have a go at everything, and her infectious enthusiasm inspired others to do the same.

“She wanted the best for everyone and was so passionate about helping new people.

“A lot of messages we have received since she passed have been from people saying how Liz helped them find their feet when they were new to a cattle camp or from parents saying she had encouraged their children to pursue cattle showing or judging.

“She was just so inclusive of everyone.”

Lizzie was born on January 13, 2000 and attended prep and grade one at St Brigid’s Primary School in Rosewood, before moving to Haigslea State School for the rest of primary school.

She went through high school at West Moreton Anglican College, where she was the most enthusiastic member of the school cattle show team.

A jill-of-all trades, Liz worked across an array of different jobs ranging from a farm hand to a delivery truck driver, hospitality, childcare, and most recently as a Hearing Care Co-ordinator with Bloom Hearing.

She was due to start a teaching degree later this year at the University of New England in Armidale with a dream of becoming an Agricultural Science teacher.

Lizzie began her career in showing at the age of nine as a cattle steward, following in her family’s footsteps.

She represented the Boonah Show Society, and the West Moreton and Brisbane Valley Sub-Chamber as a finalist in the Rural Ambassador competition at the Royal Brisbane Show last year.

She was also an accomplished cattle judge with one of her highlights being invited to be an associate judge at the 2021 Droughtmaster Futurity at Gatton.

She was working towards achieving her goal of judging cattle at the Ekka.

Tributes for the rising Ag leader have flowed from organisations, colleagues and friends across Queensland.

The Droughtmaster Australia society said the junior stud member and Droughtmaster Australia Next Gen committee member was an enthusiastic volunteer who always went out of her way to help junior members.

“Liz always had a ready smile for everyone and her calm, quiet approach earned her the respect of those who met her,” they said.

“She was always among the first to put her hand up to have a go”.

Boonah Show Society President, John Brent said he and the society were saddened beyond belief by the young role model’s death.

“Elizabeth was certainly one of our upcoming young show family stars, and she will be sadly missed,” he said.

The Marburg Show, for whom Lizzie was the 2019 showgirl and a cattle steward, also paid tribute.

“Elizabeth tirelessly supported the Marburg Show Society for many years, and she will be sorely missed,” the society said.

“She had an extensive knowledge of cattle and always went out of her way to support the younger members of the community and encouraged them to get involved.”

Rosewood Show Society, which Lizzie represented as the 2018 Showgirl, described her as a true advocator and innovator for the show community.

Lizzie was proud of her connection to Rosewood, with the family settling in the region in the 1850s.

She was the sixth generation on her family’s Rosewood cattle property.

Her father Noel started the Normanton Park Droughtmaster stud in 1991, and in 2006 when Lizzie was just six- years-old, she started The Block Droughtmaster Stud.

She was due to sell the first purebred animal she had bred on her own, Lightening Rose, at the upcoming Droughtmaster National female sale in March.

Noel, Ben, and Aidan will take her heifer to the sale, and all proceeds from the sale will be donated to medical research into auto-immune diseases.