From aircraft logistics and humanitarian work to motherhood and a new career in regional healthcare - this is Tash’s story.
Natasha “Tash” Whitelam’s nursing journey began more than 20 years ago in New South Wales, when she first enrolled in her Assistant in Nursing program during high school. When circumstance changed, she stepped away and explored new paths, still guided by her instinct to help others. “I just wanted to do something that was worthwhile, that gave me the opportunity to give back,” she says - a motivation that led her into the military.
Tash served in aircraft logistics, supporting medevac operations, assisting with evacuations after the 2009 Samoa tsunami, helping to deliver humanitarian aid, and working on cleanup missions. “Anything going in or out of the aircraft was my area,” she explains. The work strengthened her desire to make a meaningful contribution, even though her role wasn’t directly medical.
During her time in the forces, Tash met her husband and their life together took them from England, where their first child was born, to New South Wales and Adelaide, where they welcomed two more children and sadly experienced the heartbreaking loss of twins.
Eventually, the family set off travelling around Australia, until a suggestion from Tash’s mother led them to Wagin, where they discovered surprising family connections and decided to stay. While planning the next step, the family worked in shearing sheds to support themselves.
For Tash, the next step was finally returning to nursing. She contacted South Regional TAFE about the Diploma of Nursing(opens in a new tab) available at the Narrogin campus, completed the bridging test, and was accepted the same day. Enrolment was made even easier thanks to the ‘fee free’ initiative that reduces upfront costs to support students commencing study in essential industries like health care. As a mother of three, she studied full time while cleaning at the local police station to help support her family.
Tash gained extensive real‑world experience during her Diploma of Nursing, completing placements across Narrogin, Katanning, Lake Grace and Osborne Park. These hands‑on opportunities exposed her to a wide variety of clinical environments, including mental health, hospital ward nursing, palliative care, rehabilitation, surgical and emergency settings, as well as primary health.
What kept her steady was the strong support from her TAFE lecturers. “They were an amazing wealth of knowledge and very approachable,” she says. They also introduced students early to job pathways like GradConnect, offering information sessions and guidance that helped Tash secure a graduate position at Albany Hospital before she had even completed her studies.
After accepting the role, Tash and her family relocated to Mount Barker. The move reduced her children’s travel time to school by around 10 hours per week and provided the family with five acres of space, animals, and an environment where they could thrive.
Settling into her graduate nursing position, Tash has found herself particularly interested in wound care and in helping patients understand their treatment. “Knowing the why promotes better understanding for me and for patients,” she says.
When asked what she enjoys most about being a nurse, her answer is simple: “Knowing that what I’m doing matters and that I’m doing something beneficial for my community.”
Her advice for future TAFE students reflects her own journey: “Be there, show up and just start. There is never going to be a perfect time.”
Tash’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and the lifechanging opportunities that regional training can offer. Through South Regional TAFE, she found her way back to the career she first stepped into decades ago with a lifetime of skills and experience that have already contributed to her career success.
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