Jasmine Knight-Smith was elected to Lismore City Council for the first time in September. She has a law degree, repairs pianos, volunteers for Women Up North Housing and is a proud mother of two. Maive McKenzie sat down with Jasmine to hear her life story.

I grew up in a few different places. I was born in Sydney but didn’t stay there long. We moved to Glen Innes, and I lived there until 1987. Around the end of that year, my family moved to Lismore when I was in either Year 6 or Year 7 at the time. From then on, Lismore became home.

I had a sister, but she sadly passed away in 2002. I’ve got a brother who lives in Canberra. He works as a systems architect for an internet security company—he’s doing well for himself. 

Some of my best memories are from growing up in North Lismore in their old days. I went to Richmond River High in town, and we’d swim in the river in our free time. Thursday and Saturday nights were for rollerskating and we would even ride the neighbour’s horses. Lismore was pretty rural back then, but it was also busy, with a strong sense of community. Everyone knew each other, and it made growing up there feel close-knit and connected.

As a kid, I was always on my pushbike. Everyone rode their BMXs everywhere, and that was just how we got around. I also spent a lot of time roller skating, and horse riding was another thing I loved. I had a horse for a short while, maybe when I was around 9 or 10, but it was a bit wild and unrideable. That didn’t stop me from riding other people’s horses whenever I got the chance.

I was really into bushwalking and birdwatching too. I’d take photos of birds and local native animals—things like a clutch of quail, and whipbirds. We had plenty of echidnas, bandicoots, and wallabies around and have always enjoyed the native fauna. I also paid a lot of attention to the native flora, especially when the native raspberries were in season.

When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronaut—just like everyone else back then. Star Wars was a big thing, and I spent a lot of time building spaceships out of LEGO, imagining I could fly through the stars, explore new worlds, and meet all kinds of amazing races and people, but as I grew up I gained different interests. 

My first job was at Woolies in Byron Bay, working as a checkout chick. At the time, Dad was in Byron, and Mum was in Lismore. It was a good job, and I actually really enjoyed it. I lived on Cemetery Road, so I’d walk along the railway tracks to get to and from work, which added a bit of charm to the routine. Byron was a lovely place to work—sure, you’d get the odd rude customer, but overall, the people were lovely. I was 16 when I started and worked there for a while. It was a solid first gig.

My next job was at a screen printer, working the screen printing wheel. My main task was taking the shirts off at the end and putting them in the drying room. We did 6- and 4-colour screen prints. We printed the Northern Territory tourism shirts, the one with the design of a sunset and a bird through it, which was pretty cool.

Sydney was where I did this job. Back then, moving to Sydney was just what all the kids did, and Sydney was the cool place to be. It wasn’t new to me, though. I’d always had family there and spent a lot of time in Sydney for holidays and Christmas. It felt like a second home, in a way, with family and friends already around. So, working and moving there just felt natural.

I also fixed pianos for my dad, on and off, from when I was about 16 until my 30s. Whenever I wasn’t working somewhere else, I was helping out with the family business. Dad runs Fred Cole Piano Tuning and Repairs—he buys, sells, tunes, restores, and repairs pianos. He’s got about thirty or so for sale at any given time, and there was a Steinway concert grand in the showroom a month or so ago. It was something I only did with the family, but it was steady work and part of growing up around the business.

In Sydney, I worked at Optus, selling mobile phone plans back when Optus was brand new in the country. It was the first time Telstra had any competition, and my job was to go to construction sites and convince tradespeople to switch over. I got roughly thirty dollars for each person who signed on, and I did that for quite a while.

Then, I had two babies and became a stay-at-home mum for about five years. We moved up here so I could have the kids. Being a stay-at-home mum was tough—definitely harder than going to work. When you’re at work, you get to talk to other adults, but at home, you’re dealing with small people who don’t have much to say, though they can be pretty funny. My kids were incredibly gorgeous and lovely, and I was very lucky—they were well-behaved and just adorable. 

In Lismore, I’ve still got my parents around; my youngest daughter, who’s 25 now, is off frolicking where the snow might be. My eldest is in Lismore. She ran with me on the Labor ticket and has been admitted as a lawyer, following a bit of a similar path.

I went to Southern Cross University to get my Bachelor of Laws and fixed pianos for a while on the side. During that time, I was also the president of my kids’ preschool and president of the law student society. I volunteered at their school and at the community legal centre, where I just walked in one day and offered to help. I was studying law at the time, so volunteering made sense. I worked with small firms in Ballina and Lismore as well.

After being a stay-at-home parent, I was motivated to get back into something that interested me. I thought law was interesting—maybe because I had a relative who was a solicitor—but I also had a real passion for helping people, especially women escaping domestic violence. I was drawn to helping those facing temporary hardships or those stuck in a generational disadvantage. I think my Catholic upbringing instilled that need to give back and help others.

I started out with small law firms before moving into administration in child protection. That was tough, even though I wasn’t in direct contact with clients. Just seeing the information come through was enough to make you want to help. It was quite challenging and sometimes heartbreaking work. I stayed in that role for about eight months before moving on, but still work in the legal field today. 

I ran for Lismore City Council for the second time during this last election. I was third on the ticket last time and second this time. Everyone involved has been lovely even if they had different political ideologies, and I mean, I have friends on the Green’s ticket and others on Krieg's ticket. It was hard work and exhausting, but in the end, I made it. It felt rewarding to be part of the process and contribute to our community.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced during my career is sometimes feeling a bit overextended. It’s hard to keep everything balanced. I tend to be a bit of a workaholic. In the past, I would go home and read more or do more work, always staying focused on what needed to be done. Not being a workaholic requires a bit of vigilance. 

Right now, I’m working four days a week, but I’m contemplating reducing it to three days. I want to give the council as much attention as it deserves so I can stay well-informed and represent the community as best as I can. It’s all about finding that balance and ensuring I’m doing right by everyone.

The most rewarding part of my work is knowing that I've helped people. I’ve been volunteering casually at Women Up North Housing since around 2010 or 2012, and that experience has been incredibly fulfilling. I like to think I’ve done good work at my various jobs, and whenever I feel like I’ve made a positive impact, it really boosts my spirits. It’s all about doing something meaningful and knowing that my efforts have made a difference in someone’s life.

Looking back at my career path, I’m most proud of finishing my law degree. It’s something that means a lot to me, even if I may or may not work as a solicitor one day. I’m proud to have something tangible to show my children, setting a good example for them. My eldest is now an admitted solicitor, which makes me even prouder, and my youngest is off snowboarding, living her own adventures.

My plans for the future are pretty straightforward. I want to stay in the Northern Rivers because it’s one of the most amazing places in the world. It’s central to so many things and we are blessed with a vibrant, diverse community. I intend to keep living here, surrounded by friends and family, while giving back to my community. Ultimately, I just want to be happy and live a good life right here. I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this beautiful area.