I pull up in my car on the dirt road outside Rollerworld in South Lismore. It’s not the first time I’ve checked if this iconic space has re-opened. My children have asked me to investigate its progress looking through the exterior horizonal blue locked slats, we all peered eagerly into the rink. We see not a soul, no mirror ball, laser lights or disco tunes of the 80s. Like many of Lismore’s youth, my children have been waiting with baited breath for the rink’s restoration.

Rollerworld in North Lismore

Craig and Belinda Newby are the owners of Rollerworld. For over 43 years, Rollerworld has been a vital part of our youth culture, offering a safe space for young people. It’s also home to several skating clubs, learn to skate for adults and children including artistic, inline hockey and roller derby.

Craig: “I’ve been in Lismore my whole life. My parents bought the rink in the early 1990’s and renamed it Rollerworld. Prior to that, it was Rosco’s. From a young age I started competitive hockey skating and have competed Nationally and Internationally”.

Belinda: “I too grew up skating and loved the rink culture and competing. Craig and I met at the rink. At that time, I was a trinity girl (a blue smurf) and Craig at Kadina.

Craig (Newby) on a Friday night was the DJ from the podium, high above the skaters overseeing talent on the rink. He had an eagle eye, and for one blue smurf in particular!”. Craig and Belinda met at the rink during skating sessions in and out of school uniform. Out of school uniform - I am talking sequined skate gear with cute matching skating sparkly knickers for Belinda and Skate Hockey style attire for Craig with the text ‘Newby’ (New York Jersey style font) across his back ;)

Craig & Belinda Newby in Canada

Craig

Our family home was and still is in Goonellabah. We grew up with an above-ground pool, but it was on land where both my sister and I excelled.

We would learn to skate on the driveway out the front of the house. I was always at the rink as my older sister was really into it. We both liked skating and it was quite natural. There were so many different aspects of skating - artistic and speedskating – funny thing was that Mum and Dad never skated. So, when I was a teen I helped out a lot working here. After school we went straight to the rink most days, other days we would go home first and come down later to do some training and support our parents. I particularly liked the Friday night sessions where I would move from Dj-ing to skate hire.

I went to Kadina from 1991 to 1996 and had a great time. I loved catching the bus to school and I enjoyed that the teachers always had time for you.

At Kadina, I played traditional hockey, which is different to inline hockey as the player can only strike the ball on one side of the stick. Inline is faster and the hockey stick more agile with the ability to strike the ball with both sides of the stick. I played a lot of inline competition hockey, it’s like the more well-known ice hockey but no contact. The only thing was that Kadina didn't start inline hockey as a sport in PE until after I left school. I continually asked to do inline skating as a sport.

I wanted to keep practising at school as well as training out of school in Brisbane. I started playing in local competitions and then for other clubs and then for clubs in Queensland, until I made the state team to go to nationals to be selected for the Australian team. I did all this when I was at school 17 -18 years old. I was going overseas in my late teens and competing for Australia professionally. After playing overseas for Australia, I’d go back to school and resume as normal and it’s kinda weird - cause when you get back at the school assembly in the award ceremony no one knows about it.

Craig Newby playing for Australia

When I finished school I continued to compete for Australia again in 1999 for the nationals and then coaching teams and Australian teams overseas. In 2006, finished up coaching and training working with the Australian in-line hockey team. It takes a lot of time to travel to training in Brisbane to 3 times a week. This was the year I took over Rollerworld from my parents. I wanted to focus on the family business, my family and skating in Lismore.

Belinda

So my story is not like Craig's. I was a ward of the state (in foster care) from very early childhood. The first four years of my life I was back and forth between my biological parents and foster care, as it is seen as restorative.

Some of the foster carers that I was placed with were unfit and not really doing it for the right reasons, I was passed around quite regularly. Before I was 15, I had been moved and placed with 56 foster homes. In my mid-teens I stayed with the Turcatos and they made me feel loved and a part of their family. They supported me and saw my spark.

At the time I was sporty and playing inline hockey on a mixed team at the rink. My ability to skate was a strength and that made me happy. I think that when you find 'something' that you are good at and that thing'' is supported by your family then that's the best feeling.

I went to Trinity when I was and it was pretty good back then too - I was pretty lucky. I had some good teachers and staff and support staff who really looked out for me. The office ladies were always super sweet, and really looked out for me, and Mr O’Reilly, he was a school counsellor and he was a saving grace many times.

The Turcatos had a property just out of town with some banana trees. My biological sister also lived with us during this time. Sadly, she has now passed on and way too young, she was 24 years old. My biological Mother is in the Northern Rivers somewhere, and I have no idea where she is, and no desire to see her. I only know about my mother because I was notified when she moved into the area.

Belinda Newby 1^st place Artistic Skating Oceania Cup 2022

Skating is my saving grace it is also Craig's happy place - a match made in heaven. We've had three kids, and survived three floods. Craig and I have always been friends. We had both been married previously. Actually, we both attended each other's weddings! Funny how things work out.

I began to focus on artistic skating after we had kids. Before that Craig and I were both inline hockey players so, we needed to diversify. Craig taught inline hockey and I taught artistic.

This is a love story

Craig: Belinda joined me to become a part of skating family life when the family business was handed over to me. We have 3 children under 11 years old and have been tirelessly rebuilding the rink with the help of volunteers.

We knew it would be tough to maintain a business in North Lismore – but skating is now our life and 2^nd generation rink ownership. It’s been a family journey, we navigated the 2017 flood. In 2017 we lost a lot and had to rewire the building’s electrical network. After a lot of work the rink looked really great and so we then prepared flood prevention strategies based on what happened then in 2017.

Belinda Newby Oceania Cup 2017                                          

Lismore inline Hockey Team

2022 was a wipe-out, with two floods within a month! Exhaustion hit us hard after the cleaning following the first flood wave – and then for it to happen again was just cruel!

Belinda: We pressure-cleaned from the top down, had just finished cleaning it all up and then the second wave came. We began the process again over again. If people are not in Lismore they forget that that wasn’t just one flood, but two!.

After few weeks we had enough strength to get back into cleaning up again. There was no questions about it - the business had to remain in Lismore. The people of Lismore, are so special especially the children. I had young teens, very emotional and telling me what the rink meant to them. There is nowhere for them to go on a Friday night.

Image: Lismore Rollerworld Community

Craig: We don’t have much here to do in the town and we enjoy seeing faces kids and families night experience it together. After the flood and continuous recovery processes parents started reaching out to us. They seemingly didn’t mind if there were no walls, that also meant no walls or doors on the toilets!! or electricity. Parents were happy sign to enable their children to train including mandatory public liability.

The community needed activities for youth and could use the space at Rollerworld for other training. We started the first Netball training courts in the space. Soon after, with renewed enthusiasm, we began restocking gear and teaching classes again. Belinda has also kept up her skate training. During the rebuild and recovery of the 2022 floods in Lismore she was driving to Brisbane and training for the Australia National Artistic championship and came first in both events. Belinda will now complete for Australia at World Skate Oceania.

Belinda Newby Oceania Cup 2017

 The community support and feedback was key drive for us to restore Rollerworld for the community, particularly our young people. The rink offers classes for kids through to adults. Holding space for birthday parties and family gatherings.

Belinda: Most of our staff grew up skating here, they went through the lessons, the discos, the speedskating and when they leave school come to us for a job. It’s more than an activity or just something to do it’s a culture. Like many of us at this time of year the we are no different family with three kids. Attending school carols, ballet concerts, other afterschool activities and running ourselves ragged! It’s a family business and one that we hope one of our children may take on for the third generation.

The social role of Rollerworld is important in our community. On a Friday night kids and some adults huddle together in the queue to get in as the final tuition classes end and the Friday Night Skate is open. There is much excitement. My 13-year-old daughter tells me to stop looking at the other older teens, but I can’t help myself. They are exuberant, dressed to impress. Another mother tells me that her teen has been planning her outfit all week. As an adult, standing there waiting I remember myself as a young teen. I smile. It’s not all about fashion either these kids can skate, and fast! Others are learning, stumbling and fall as they attempt the limbo. There is hand holding, tears and much laughter amongst the roller discothèque with mirror ball and laser lights.

In terms of defining the social implications of skating there are many – physical, psychological, cultural and social. Rollerworld has a positive impact on the Lismore community.

Rollerworld hopes to open before Christmas.

Their skate shop where you can buy your favourite brand of adjustable roller-skates and other skating paraphernalia. Craig and Belinda also have a GoFundMe page - I was saddened to see that they had only raised $7,436 raised of $50,000 goal. If you love the rink, please add to their goal. If you haven’t already followed their Facebook page to see their progress and opening dates, Facebook Messenger if you want to reach out.

There aren’t many roller rinks left in Australia and even fewer in regional areas. Losing this one for Lismore would leave a gap in our community particularly for our young people.