When Courtney Taylor left the farmlands of the Granite Belt to head to the navy, she never thought a piece of home would follow her out to sea.
At just 18 years old, Courtney boarded the HMAS Canberra to begin 12 months as a Navy Officer Year One before she starts her degree in the Australian Defence Force Academy.
“I posted to HMAS Canberra in June this year, it’s been great so far, I find it fascinating and I’m looking forward to studying a Bachelor of Arts at ADFA,” Courtney said.
As Courtney sets sail on her dreams, home is never far behind. When HMAS Canberra docked at Townsville for their August logistics visit, pallets of fresh produce were brought on board.
Included in these pallets were boxes of lettuce from Taylor’s Family Produce – Courtney’s family farm.
“I just couldn’t believe it when we unwrapped the pallets and saw it. I told my Dad who was so surprised and happy. I’ll look forward to eating this onboard,” she said.
Iceberg lettuce holds a special significance for the Taylor family. It was one of the first produce items they cultivated, dating back to 1933 when they started growing it for the American military.
Courtney is looking forward to travelling the world with the Navy and doing so with a little bit of her family on board. A leafy reminder of home.
