“I was born in Southhampton, England. We came out here as ten pound poms sponsored by BHP. I was only 9 months old. We were put in a hostel for new immigrants and we lived in Nissen Huts which were structures made from corrugated iron. That was home for 12 months for Mum, Dad, my 2 brothers and myself. My dad was a Merchant Seaman in England and he got sick of working on dry land and went back to sea. He was only home very part time.
We eventually got a place at Little Lakes Entrance south of Wollongong. We were only there for a few months before we got a housing commission place. I went to school at Mount Warrigal Primary School and my parents split up when I was in Year 4. By then my mum was a Stenographer / Telephonist / Typist.
Initially my younger brother and I stayed with my dad and my eldest brother went with Mum. Dad couldn’t get shore work so my brother and I were fostered out for 18 months. My foster parents were good. I only recently connected with ‘Aunty Sue’ which is what I called her about 5 years ago and we chat on FB now. Mum had met somebody and we didn’t like the flogger that he was. He abused my mother and he abused me. He hit my eldest brother, only once but he hit my mum all the time.
Eventually I went back with my mum and my 2 brothers went with my dad who had got shore work. Mum was still with ‘him’. We ran away one time, stole his car and crashed it and sent it back on a train. I was just going into high school so I was 12 or 13. Mum and I escaped and went to a place called Moranbah west of Mackay which was a mining town. I l absolutely loved it there. It was a satellite town but the facilities for kids and young adults were amazing. I had my first motorbike and that was it, I fell in love with motor bikes. I had my first boyfriend there which was really cool and then we had to leave again because we were still running from him. I didn’t want to leave. We boarded a plane and I cried from Maclean to Sydney.
Mum and I returned to Wollongong and found a flat. We had nothing, absolutely nothing. We had an esky for a fridge. The first couple of weeks we had no beds till we got some from Lifeline. No TV though we did have some music. We used to hang out for friends to invite us for dinner because we were bloody starving. We got fit though! We’d go for walks every night. She was working part time but it was shit money. I was in high school and it got to the point where we couldn’t afford for me to go to school. It was too hard so I left school at 14 and 7 months and went to work.
A friend of mine was a fish monger at a restaurant called Irene’s. I started at this restaurant, fell in love with food and stayed in the industry for 38 years. I was not quite 15 when I started and we had a big convention which was running for 2 weeks. The owners were Greek and they said to me ‘If you can survive this 2 weeks you’ve got a job.’ I worked 12 hour days 6 days a week. I did it easy and they took me on as an apprentice Chef but the bastards never put my papers in. I kept asking for my papers…there must be something I have to sign. I wasted 18 hard working months there.
Nick Manios was the Chef at Irene’s and he had a gut full of working there as well so he asked me to come and work for him in this beautiful little cellar restaurant with the tiniest kitchen. I was there for about 6 weeks and he started getting all touchy, feely. I told him if he did it again I was out of there. I was only 16 at that time, anyway, he did it again so I grabbed all my tools and walked out the back door. He’s yelling, You can’t go! You can’t go! I said, Watch me!
I ended up getting work at an Italian club with a restaurant, bistro and function centre. That was the most amazing time. It was sensational. I learnt so much about food, worked with amazing people. We cooked for dignitaries from everywhere around the world including Bob Hawke when he was PM. I was finally doing my apprenticeship properly. I went to Tafe, got Dux at Tafe 2 years running and won several competitions. I just loved it. I finished my 4 years and moved on. The Chef there was amazing. His name was Reno but the Italian women were awesome. I learnt so much from those girls. Sunday lunches at their places were mind blowing. From there I worked for a woman who had a catering company and rented a kitchen in a small Masonic Club. She ended up leaving and I took over what she was doing. We opened a restaurant twice a week and we’d do functions and outside catering. I was 23 and living with my eldest brother.
I don’t ever do things by halves and I still love it. I still cook and experiment. I’ve done many functions, weddings, wedding breakfasts. I’ve had a few businesses but the last and the best business we had was at Uki Cafe.
When I was at the Italian Club I realised I was a bit different from other girls. That’s when I realised I was gay. I was about 19. I always knew I was different but back then you didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t in your face. Anyway, a whole new world opened up for me but then I got heavily into alcohol and heavily into drugs.”