Catherine Harris on, family, fairness and 50 years of Harris Farm

Trailblazing business leader, arts patron and advocate for women in leadership, Catherine Harris joins Talal Yassine for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about business, family and purpose.

From growing up as one of ten children in a loud, loving Italian–Irish household, to co-founding Harris Farm Markets and guiding it through more than 50 years of highs, lows and reinvention, Catherine shares stories that shaped her values: integrity, fairness, and lifting others as you lead.

She reflects on resilience through tough times, including near-bankruptcy, 17% interest rates and even a mafia threat, while highlighting the lessons of transparency, courage, and compassion in business.

Beyond Harris Farm, Catherine discusses her decades of public service: leading affirmative action at a national level, serving on boards from the NRL to the National Gallery, and even representing Bhutan as Consul-General. With humour, humility, and a lifetime of experience, she shows how business, family and values can intertwine to shape modern Australia.

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Episode Running Order

• Childhood and family roots (02:00)
• Her mother: Australia’s first woman on TV (07:00)
• Schooling, Florence, and finding her own path (10:00)
• University struggles, dyslexia and discovering commerce (14:00)
• Meeting David Harris and the origins of Harris Farm (20:00)
• Starting out in Villawood and early hardships (25:00)
• Near-collapse, 17% interest rates and resilience (30:00)
• The mafia contract and surviving the 1990s (34:00)
• Lessons from 50 years in business (38:00)
• Family in business: succession, mentoring, and fairness (43:00)
• Raising five boys and reflections on gender equity (50:00)
• Serving as Consul-General for Bhutan (56:00)
• Arts, culture, rugby league and public service (1:00:00)
• Quickfire questions: misconceptions, guilty pleasures, advice (1:07:00)
• Closing reflections: the power of listening to stories (1:10:00)

 

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