“ I was born in Phuket, Thailand to a Mafia father who was shot by the Police. My Mum was his 5th wife. He had all sons and I was the only daughter. My first memory from my childhood is running along the beach and I could hear gun shots. I always thought it was a recurring dream until many years later, I asked my mum about that memory. She said, ’Do you remember that?’ I was 2 years old and she was carrying me, we were running away from corrupt Police who wanted to take over the Mafia industry. My Dad was a drug lord and ran the red light district. He was a very bad man. My Mum was a drug mule without really knowing that she was.
They killed off my whole family. They went to America and killed my brothers, all my six brother were shot and killed. My father’s first wife ran away to a temple and became a nun so she survived. My mother also became a nun so they couldn’t touch her there. I was given to my Grandmother up at the Nakon Patom at the age of 2 and that’s where I grew up. I lived with my Grandmother and Grandfather and we were really, really poor. There were 20 people living in our house. My grandparents, my aunty and uncle with their 5 kids and their grandkids as well. There were curtains separating the rooms. The house would often flood and we would walk along planks to get to our beds. I only had 2 sets of clothes. It was so horrible. My grandmother was a fisherwoman and she was really nasty to me because she hated girls. She is still alive and she loves me now but back then I was a burden. My grandfather used to craft things for the locals.
When my mother left I didn’t see her for two years. She didn’t come back for me till I was 4. I was left for two years with my grandmother who didn’t love me. She would go fishing early in the morning and leave me outside all day. I remember it being still dark and cold and she would leave me on this plank of wood outside the house with a bowl of rice and fish sauce. That’s all I ate for 2 years. I was left all day on my own all the time so a lot of bad shit happened during those days. From 2 to 4 years old I was fending for myself on a daily basis.
I got taken by some village boys and they did stuff to me. I remember coming home one day, I was 4 years old and I was bleeding everywhere. My Grandad cleaned me up. In Thailand we used big pots of water to shower but because I was so sore and dirty I jumped in the whole pot. My Grandmother saw me and hit me quite badly after that. That was tough. I remember my mum came to visit me when I was 5 and she gave me a doll. I was so angry and broken by that time I threw the doll on the ground. I wanted nothing from her. She said ‘In a years time I am going to take you to a better life, we are going to Australia.’
We came to Australia when I was 6. I had really long hair and before I came she cleaned me up and shaved off my hair because I had nits. I remember crying all the way to Australia because all my hair was gone. I arrived here in 1986 and I couldn’t speak a word of English. My mum would say ‘Say hello to Bill’ which is my stepdad and I would say ‘Say Hello Bill’ I said ‘Say’ in front of everything. I had to go to language school in Fairfield, Melbourne. I went to Fairfield Primary School and everything was amazing. I was here in Australia, I had a stepfather who absolutely adored me. My favourite colour was purple so he painted my room purple. I had a real bed. This is the land of the free. This is paradise! That’s why nothing gets me down anymore I just say to myself ’Just get up, you’re not dead so get up.’ That’s why I have this drive. Having 4 kids and running businesses, I’m living the dream. Going through that and surviving, I could have become a prostitute, I could have been kidnapped or killed along with my father. I changed my name from my previous fathers name to my now stepfathers name in 1996 which is O’Reilly.
I came to Lismore 13 years ago with my ex Peter. I met Peter in Melbourne. He was a cute Chef and working for my best friend. I was a waitress and we ended up together. We became pregnant with Dexter when Pete’s father was dying. He said I’m not dying until I meet my first grandchild. Dexter was born prematurely at just under 32 weeks. When Dexter was born Peter’s father had already been in hospital so sick and we couldn’t leave the hospital with our baby for 8 weeks because he was so tiny. Pete’s Dad was still hanging in there. We got out of hospital after the 8 weeks was up, flew to Kyogle the next morning and took Dexter to meet his Grandad. Dad died the next morning. If Dexter had gone full term he would never have met his grandfather.
Petes mum was now on her own after being married for 45 years so we decided we wanted to be closer to family and make a life for ourselves up here. We didn’t want to live in Kyogle, coming from Melbourne. I had always been a city girl except for Thailand but I forget about Thailand now. I had never seen cows in the street before, no traffic lights and only one cafe. I got dressed up in my finest clothes and trotted down the streets of Kyogle in my high heels with my bright red pram and all I saw was cows on the road. I was on the phone crying to my friend…I can’t see any shops, can’t see cafes and there’s cow shit on the road. I had no car, a baby, everyone was in mourning from Dad passing, I had no friends, first baby in this country town and I was keeping it together but missing Melbourne. I thought, Ok we’ve made this decision together, pick yourself up, you’re here. We stayed in Kyogle for 6 months before moving to Alstonville for a year then Goonellabah.
At that time the Quilky’s had just taken over The Richmond Hotel in Lismore. There was a sign up, Head Chef and staff wanted and they had just built Miss Lizzies so that’s how we met John and Carol. Pete built their kitchen and we were there for 4 years. Pete as head chef and I was working there as well. Five years later we had Alphadale Restaurant and then 5 years later we opened Cafe One One Four in Keen St. We split up not long after due to the pressure of the business. During those years we had 3 more children. Two years after Dexter we had Suki. Six years later we had Jackson and 18 months later we had Pixie.
I took a break from One One Four for a couple of years and I decided to open my own place. This is my industry, my passion and my town. I’ve had this dream for a long time. My new partner who is amazing invested in me and decided it was my time. He wanted to support my dream. He custom built everything in this cafe to suit me. He came up with the Ghetto Babe name because I am the ghetto babe. It’s in an arcade, we are going to make the laneway into outdoor dining and because I grew up in a ghetto it suits. I’m also a Hip Hop RnB girl so I play 90’s RnB tunes constantly. This is the food I grew up with. All the women in my family were cooks or chefs so it’s in my blood.
I’m in South Lismore now and loving it. Cute street, we know all our neighbours, all homeowners and we’re a tight knit family. I feel like this is me giving back to the community that has always supported me. I love this community, I love Lismore.”
They killed off my whole family. They went to America and killed my brothers, all my six brother were shot and killed. My father’s first wife ran away to a temple and became a nun so she survived. My mother also became a nun so they couldn’t touch her there. I was given to my Grandmother up at the Nakon Patom at the age of 2 and that’s where I grew up. I lived with my Grandmother and Grandfather and we were really, really poor. There were 20 people living in our house. My grandparents, my aunty and uncle with their 5 kids and their grandkids as well. There were curtains separating the rooms. The house would often flood and we would walk along planks to get to our beds. I only had 2 sets of clothes. It was so horrible. My grandmother was a fisherwoman and she was really nasty to me because she hated girls. She is still alive and she loves me now but back then I was a burden. My grandfather used to craft things for the locals.
When my mother left I didn’t see her for two years. She didn’t come back for me till I was 4. I was left for two years with my grandmother who didn’t love me. She would go fishing early in the morning and leave me outside all day. I remember it being still dark and cold and she would leave me on this plank of wood outside the house with a bowl of rice and fish sauce. That’s all I ate for 2 years. I was left all day on my own all the time so a lot of bad shit happened during those days. From 2 to 4 years old I was fending for myself on a daily basis.
I got taken by some village boys and they did stuff to me. I remember coming home one day, I was 4 years old and I was bleeding everywhere. My Grandad cleaned me up. In Thailand we used big pots of water to shower but because I was so sore and dirty I jumped in the whole pot. My Grandmother saw me and hit me quite badly after that. That was tough. I remember my mum came to visit me when I was 5 and she gave me a doll. I was so angry and broken by that time I threw the doll on the ground. I wanted nothing from her. She said ‘In a years time I am going to take you to a better life, we are going to Australia.’
We came to Australia when I was 6. I had really long hair and before I came she cleaned me up and shaved off my hair because I had nits. I remember crying all the way to Australia because all my hair was gone. I arrived here in 1986 and I couldn’t speak a word of English. My mum would say ‘Say hello to Bill’ which is my stepdad and I would say ‘Say Hello Bill’ I said ‘Say’ in front of everything. I had to go to language school in Fairfield, Melbourne. I went to Fairfield Primary School and everything was amazing. I was here in Australia, I had a stepfather who absolutely adored me. My favourite colour was purple so he painted my room purple. I had a real bed. This is the land of the free. This is paradise! That’s why nothing gets me down anymore I just say to myself ’Just get up, you’re not dead so get up.’ That’s why I have this drive. Having 4 kids and running businesses, I’m living the dream. Going through that and surviving, I could have become a prostitute, I could have been kidnapped or killed along with my father. I changed my name from my previous fathers name to my now stepfathers name in 1996 which is O’Reilly.
I came to Lismore 13 years ago with my ex Peter. I met Peter in Melbourne. He was a cute Chef and working for my best friend. I was a waitress and we ended up together. We became pregnant with Dexter when Pete’s father was dying. He said I’m not dying until I meet my first grandchild. Dexter was born prematurely at just under 32 weeks. When Dexter was born Peter’s father had already been in hospital so sick and we couldn’t leave the hospital with our baby for 8 weeks because he was so tiny. Pete’s Dad was still hanging in there. We got out of hospital after the 8 weeks was up, flew to Kyogle the next morning and took Dexter to meet his Grandad. Dad died the next morning. If Dexter had gone full term he would never have met his grandfather.
Petes mum was now on her own after being married for 45 years so we decided we wanted to be closer to family and make a life for ourselves up here. We didn’t want to live in Kyogle, coming from Melbourne. I had always been a city girl except for Thailand but I forget about Thailand now. I had never seen cows in the street before, no traffic lights and only one cafe. I got dressed up in my finest clothes and trotted down the streets of Kyogle in my high heels with my bright red pram and all I saw was cows on the road. I was on the phone crying to my friend…I can’t see any shops, can’t see cafes and there’s cow shit on the road. I had no car, a baby, everyone was in mourning from Dad passing, I had no friends, first baby in this country town and I was keeping it together but missing Melbourne. I thought, Ok we’ve made this decision together, pick yourself up, you’re here. We stayed in Kyogle for 6 months before moving to Alstonville for a year then Goonellabah.
At that time the Quilky’s had just taken over The Richmond Hotel in Lismore. There was a sign up, Head Chef and staff wanted and they had just built Miss Lizzies so that’s how we met John and Carol. Pete built their kitchen and we were there for 4 years. Pete as head chef and I was working there as well. Five years later we had Alphadale Restaurant and then 5 years later we opened Cafe One One Four in Keen St. We split up not long after due to the pressure of the business. During those years we had 3 more children. Two years after Dexter we had Suki. Six years later we had Jackson and 18 months later we had Pixie.
I took a break from One One Four for a couple of years and I decided to open my own place. This is my industry, my passion and my town. I’ve had this dream for a long time. My new partner who is amazing invested in me and decided it was my time. He wanted to support my dream. He custom built everything in this cafe to suit me. He came up with the Ghetto Babe name because I am the ghetto babe. It’s in an arcade, we are going to make the laneway into outdoor dining and because I grew up in a ghetto it suits. I’m also a Hip Hop RnB girl so I play 90’s RnB tunes constantly. This is the food I grew up with. All the women in my family were cooks or chefs so it’s in my blood.
I’m in South Lismore now and loving it. Cute street, we know all our neighbours, all homeowners and we’re a tight knit family. I feel like this is me giving back to the community that has always supported me. I love this community, I love Lismore.”