“ I was born at Lismore Base Hospital and grew up on a small farm in Shannonbrook which is about 15 minutes out of Casino. Mum and Dad are still there. I was out visiting the other day and just appreciating the house that I was born in, high ceilings, exposed timber, beautiful stuff. My parents were into race horses then they got into Grey hounds. We had about 70 Greyhounds at one time and it was a great way to grow up surrounded by dogs. There’s nothing like laying down in a pen with 12 six week old puppies climbing all over you. I’m very thankful I got to grow up out of town on a property with lots of bush adventures.
I went to primary school at Leeville which was a tiny school. At times we’d wag and go down to the fruit trees, the creek was there and just being around nature…incredible. I went to Casino High and that’s where I met Jhai. You took a photo of us here in this tree nearly 8 years ago. I had long hair and we were hanging in the tree playing our guitars and you were walking by and asked if you could take a photo. (see photo in comments) Jhai has that photo framed in his house still today. Here we are 8 years later at the same tree….Synchronicity. I made it a daily ritual when I was a ratbag skating around the streets of Lismore, I’d come and sit in this tree and feel the energy, so healing in this old tree.
I always felt like Lismore was the place I wanted to be, even as a young kid. I moved here in my late teens and I’ve been through a dozen different rentals in Lismore. I’ve watched it develop over the years and I feel a deep connection to Lismore. I did my Bachelor of Media degree here at SCU majoring in screen and I want to do acting and TV. I’ve done stand up comedy on and off for 10 years. I’m 32 next month.
For some reason I thought, I have to get out of the place I was born in. I have to go to the big city…you know! So I’d move to the Gold Coast for 8 months and then I’d come back and stay for a few more years. Then I’d want to get out again so I moved to Byron for 5 months which was my last stint. The pandemic hit and I wanted to come back home so I was around friends and family. I’ve been in Lismore Heights since 2020 and I’m so glad I did. That pandemic time was next level. It was like a dystopian film we were living in real life. I was so isolated and alone after going through a breakup in Byron.
I think there’s something healing about this place. Lismore cops a bad rap and I’ve defended it since day dot. I’m like, ‘You’ve got no idea about the people in this community, theres no other place like this.’ I love the Northern Rivers and I love to talk to everyone but there’s been times when I’m in Byron or Mullum and people are like, ‘Why are talking to me man?’ Here in Lismore you get none of that. It’s a magical place. It’s almost an energetic thing. It’s a feeling of joy, contentment and peace. It kept pulling me back.
Being in this area with so many creative people definitely spurred me on to do my Bachelor of Media. I wanted to be an actor and be in front of the camera rather than behind. Funny how it worked out. This area pushed me to pursue my creative endeavours, like doing stand up all over the Northern Rivers. I haven’t done it since the flood, something sort of broke inside of me. I feel like I’m starting all over again so it’s a little bit daunting and scary.
I’ve had some horrible experiences with agents. The grimy, gross, horrible side of TV and film. I’ve had bad experiences from the start, being used and abused and being scammed. You think you have a gig, you go to Sydney and you realise you were ripped off. That money for their particular photographers went to scammers. Having the whole chat with certain executives from big TV companies that were aware of ….’Hey Man, if you want to get ahead in this industry, you’re gonna have to do some things you don’t want to do, here’s my room number.’ This guy in Sydney was buying me beer after beer and then I clicked and got out of there as fast as I could.”