INSPIRE: Psychologist, pastor, photographer Genevieve Milnes finds boundless energy in the beautiful Stirlings

You know the saying about living your best life? Well, Genevieve Milnes has about four on the go simultaneously. A psychologist, pastor and photographer based in Kendenup she has so many strings to her bow she could tie herself up in knots, but she seems to move easily between her roles as counsellor and confidante, psych and snapper. She has packed so much into her life that it’s hard to know where to start, but her home is maybe the best reflection of all that she is. It’s full of rustic charm — jam-packed in fact, but in a good way so it’s welcoming and doesn’t look as though its owner might need the help of a clinical psychologist (although luckily, she is one). It has a kitchen that’s straight out of the 1940s, a fabulous library of antiquarian books, a small studio and outdoor spaces which could host a client or a congregation. There’s a sea container filled to the brim with yet more books, which will ultimately be catalogued into a space she’s building alongside, and a store full of odds and ends which she periodically dispatches to the Kendenup markets, when she has a spare moment. Not that she has many of those, for since completing her education degree to become a music teacher, she has added a Bachelor of Divinity, a Masters’ in Counselling and a Doctorate in psychology to her resume. Training initially as a music teacher, she felt a higher calling and headed to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with husband Peter, doing volunteer work with drug addicts, orphanages and street children. After eight years in Brazil — where she had two of their four children — the couple returned to Australia and lived in Perth before deciding the time was right to head to the country, and to the house her father built at his turkey farm. The house, with its stunning views of the Stirling Range National Park, had been empty for almost a decade and, according to Milnes, showed it. “Oh, the ants, rats, rabbits and spiders had all moved in,” she said. It has been a labour of love since but said, “It still has my father all over it.” Given the way she approaches every facet of her life with enthusiasm and a commitment to excellence, it’s no surprise her photography is the same. Her work reflects the location, and she has been kind enough to put her best shots into a calendar every year since 2020 so everyone can enjoy them. She’s also a regular poster on social media. The 2026 version includes some wonderful images and will make seeing the days whizz by a real pleasure. Other photographs — her best, she reckons — are on show at the Mt Barker Visitor Centre. She wears her faith lightly, reading the prayer at the Mt Barker Remembrance Day Service and allocating Wednesdays for her pastoral days, often having spent the previous day counselling at her clinic in Perth. “I don’t want to be religious; I want to be real for people,” she said, adding that her parents were an influence in that regard. “I remember my mum getting converted during the Billy Graham crusade of 1959. “My parents used to enjoy parties, taking part in social events and playing cards but suddenly all that went and we were brought up as good little Christians. “I prefer not to make a big thing of my faith, but I admit I do sometimes put on a Gregorian chant and go ‘woo’.” The house tour also takes in her garden because she wants to show us everything; and it’s worth it. Trees in the yard next to the overgrown tennis court provide a magical backdrop while an area closer to the house showcases colour, fun and green fingers. During the Bloom Festival in October, she opened it up, invited in the great unwashed and served high tea because that’s what you do when you love meeting people, and want to do everything you can to make people’s lives better. She’s a woman who seemingly never stops, and although she says she is “content, fairly content”, it’s hard to believe that there won’t be another project soon. Maybe her best life is yet to come.