Patrice left the city for a life on the land 22 years ago when she and her partner bought Elmswood, and she became a full-time land manager.  Her central belief as a farmer is summed up in the words: "the land must define its use."

Patrice's 'epiphany' came in the early 1980's working on a Seven network documentary that exposed Australia's agricultural land being used as a third world dumping ground for toxic chemicals.

She became a newsreader at SBS television and presented her own public affairs program Midweek; switching to commercial television, she co-anchored Channel Nine's Today Show.

Meanwhile she studied herbal medicine under the legendary Dorothy Hall at night school.

In 1996 she was a member of the Rural Lands Development Committee that modified her local council's Local Environment Plan (LEP). And a member of an Agenda 21 Committee at Scone Shire Council, a group intent on introducing and implementing sustainable practices in every aspect of municipal policy from subdivision regulations, development planning, storm water management and street-lighting to private water tank usage.

Patrice is also secretary of the local fire brigade and president of Scone High School P & C.

In 2006 she set up the Upper Hunter Waterkeepers Alliance with a group of concerned locals. This is linked to Waterkeepers Australia and the international Waterkeepers Alliance founded by Robert F Kennedy Jr.

In 2007 Patrice co-founded Climate Change Coalition and was a Legislative Council candidate in the NSW election and a senate candidate in the federal election.

As a member of water groups her concerns about water use and allocation are now intensified by the implications of climate change. Newell's new life has also been depicted in the ABC television's documentary programme, Australian Story.

Patrice also sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of G Magazine, Australia's first green lifestyle magazine.