New WA Nationals leader Mia Davies says if you had asked her school friends, she'd have been the last person they would have expected to lead a political party.

"I was the shyest in the class, I didn't do debating, I didn't do legal studies, I wasn't interested in student politics," she said.

Being 38, educated, well-travelled and female, she's probably not who most people would picture when they think of the Nationals.

Sitting on her wide verandah in the wheatbelt town of Northam, Ms Davies said her decision to become a country MP was about "giving something back".

"It's very much driven from where I grew up [on a farm in Yorkrakine]," she said.

"I go back to seeing dad on the P&C, mum being a teacher at the local school, my next door neighbour was a volunteer ambulance driver. They had to be involved to get things done in our community."

Ms Davies has worked alongside former WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls for more than a decade.

After he lost his seat last month the party elected her to take his place.

Since then there have been calls from Canberra for the WA Liberals and Nationals to form a coalition, like they have federally.

But Ms Davies wants the Nationals to continue going it alone.

"I'm quite convinced that the reason we have as many members as we do and our ability to represent our constituency, is because we protect that independence," she said.

Northam businessman Rob Tinetti says Ms Davies is one of the hardest working politicians he's ever met. ( ABC News: Eliza Borrello )

The ABC's election analyst Antony Green agrees.

"Presumably the Nationals retained support through their advocacy of 'Royalties for Regions' and for keeping their distance from the Liberal Party in government," he said.

Green pointed out that despite the Nationals losing the mining seats of Pilbara and Kalgoorlie in the election, their overall vote held up. He suspects it was the Liberals, not the Nationals, who lost ground to One Nation.

Ms Davies said she plans to fight hard to keep the Royalties for Regions program intact.

She has also vowed to continue arguing for the mining industry to pay its "fair share" for the resources it extracts.

'If that's a feminist, then I'm one'

On a personal level, unlike federal Nationals Deputy Leader Fiona Nash and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Ms Davies would call herself a feminist.

"I think it comes back to what you see as feminist," she said.

"In my role, a feminist is someone that is strong and confident in the role of having women in leadership positions and making sure that we are part of decision making processes.

"If that's what a feminist is, then I'm one. But I guess I've never been very comfortable with labels and think it's actually about just doing the job."

Ms Davies said she hopes her story will encourage other women to step up.

"Just by simply saying that there are things that make me nervous, that I am wired the same as other women," she said.

"So the self-doubt that many of us have about am I ready to take on this role… surely someone's more qualified.

"That's a similar thread that runs through a whole raft of women. My point to them is don't be scared, put yourself forward because having us involved in the discussion, whether it's at a community P&C, whether it's local government, whether it's in this role, changes the type of debate you have."

Fan of 'good champagne' and AC/DC

Away from the cameras Mia Davies is a fan of AC/DC, the Fremantle Dockers and "good champagne".

"I do love good champagne, life's too short to drink bad champagne," she said.

"I'm also equally as comfortable drinking Emu Export or sitting at the Boddington Rodeo."

Local businessman and supporter Rob Tinetti said Ms Davies has earnt her place in history.

"She's probably one of the hardest working politicians I've ever come across," he said.

"If you have a look at her diary, you won't find a blank spot."