Joanna Martin, a Registered Nurse with more than 18 years’ experience across a range of healthcare fields, was recently awarded Nurse of the Year by the Northern NSW Local Health District. She sat down with Darlene Cook earlier this week to tell us her life story. I was born in Sydney on Gadigal land in the 1980s at the King George V Memorial Hospital for Mothers and Babies at Camperdown near Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the eldest of two children. My parents were both Sydney University graduates; my father was a chemical engineer, and my mother started off in agriculture but then changed to teaching – she became a special needs teacher.  I had a lovely childhood with my younger sister playing around Stanmore, where I grew up, attending Stanmore Public School for my primary years. We were lucky to also spend a lot of time in the Hunter Valley at my parents’ bush property and on the south coast in Ulladulla, where my mum’s family lived. (Joanna at Primary School)I moved to Newtown High School of the Performing Arts for my high school years; I was mainly interested in piano, flute and voice. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep this going – I was a bit distracted by the social life that Newtown can offer!  I completed my HSC wanting to go to the University of Sydney to study speech pathology; however, I was once again preoccupied with my social life and missed the cutoff date to submit my course preferences. Mum saved the day by marching down to the Mallet St Camperdown Nursing Campus for USyd and begging for them to give me a place as a late entry, a couple of weeks before the course started. My plan was to transfer to speech pathology, but after a couple of hospital placements, I decided it wasn’t for me. My decision to enrol in nursing was cemented one day when I was on the train with my family, when a stranger, an eccentric little old lady wearing a red and white striped tracksuit, struck up a conversation and said, “You know, you really look like a nurse”. This was before I started nursing, but it had quite an influence on me – I still remember it quite clearly to this day. She also asked my mum how old “her father” was, not realising she was referring to my dad, mum’s husband –awkward! The Nursing degree was a 3-year degree then; in my 1st year, I did a unit on health issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – it’s a mandatory unit in the degree. It was an eye opener for me; I was unaware of the impact of colonisation on First Nations people, as we didn’t study it at school, nor the ongoing and direct connection that it has to today’s health issues for our First Nations people. Learning this compelled me to change my study pathway, changing to a four-year nursing degree called Bachelor of Nursing, Indigenous Australian Health.I was very privileged in that time to be taught by First Nations academics in nursing, and I treasure the special information imparted to me by those women, and the opportunity to work with numerous First Nations organisations, including the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern, observing first-hand how important these services are for the community.  Part of the degree meant that I spent a few months in Broken Hill, Wilcannia and Menindee on Barkindji Country. These smaller communities exposed me to what rural and remote health care really looked like – where nurses are everything to the community. We had to be able to do anything and everything, including driving the ambulance to help clear kangaroos off the airstrip so the Royal Flying Doctor Service plane could safely land. You kind of had to be able to do it all. (Joanna doing an outreach wellness check on Menindee Lake in remote NSW)It was a really good nursing experience; it was an important post - there was no onsite medical support in the town; you relied on the RFDS for help if needed. But there was incredibly good support from the other nurses. It was an interesting time for me career-wise and I’ve always felt drawn to go back to regional and remote areas. I came back to Sydney and got a position at St Vincent's in Darlinghurst’s emergency department. It was supposed to be part of a rotation to other medical areas; I had been considering moving to paediatrics, because that was what I really wanted to do, but I just really loved the emergency work, so I stayed on working in ED for many years.   St Vincent's Darlinghurst is just near Kings Cross and the pressure of the high volumes of patients coming through, while stressful, also built up a camaraderie that helped pull you through some of the really challenging cases. Also, the sense of connection to community you get from looking after some of the really prominent local people and particularly with the homeless community, the relationships we built were quite lovely. One claim to fame is that I appeared on Channel 9’s Kings Cross ER while working at St Vincent's! Kings Cross ER was a unique, fly-on-the-wall look at the experiences of the staff and patients at the always busy emergency department at St Vincent's Hospital. Back then, I really liked the high-powered, fast-paced variety of emergency department work; it also offered a pathway to career progression in nursing, which was influenced by some great colleagues, nurse educators and clinical nurse consultants who were really passionate about developing younger nurses’ careers. (Jo with Ciggy Butt at a Koori Knockout at Henson Park Oval promoting the Quit Campaign for NSW Health)I guess some people are really drawn to ED work for many reasons. Something I really appreciate about the work I’ve done there is that I’ve made lots of long-lasting friendships. Tim Ayers is one of the Clinical Nurse Consultants with the Movement Disorder Neurology Service here, and his wife Gemma is a Midwife at LBH and are both still close friends who I met back at St Vincent's ED. They welcomed their second new baby just this morning; congratulations Tim, Gemma and Amelia!! I met my husband Chris when working in emergency – he was a paramedic at that time. After a few years together, we decided to move to what we thought would be a slower pace of work life – to the Northern Rivers. We did a sea change in 2013 – moved to Byron for the proper sea change life; back then, you could afford to live in Byron. After we moved out of our rental, the prices went through the roof! I worked at Ballina hospital ED on their casual pool very briefly before applying for a job in Lismore at the Base Hospital, again working in emergency as a clinical nurse specialist for some of this time.  Lismore Base Hospital’s ED has a great team there as well with the same sense of camaraderie and connection over the work. I still have lovely friends from my time there. I met my current manager, Kath Shaw, also a nurse, in the Lismore Base ED. When I told people I had worked at the infamous “Kings Cross ER”, they would say, “Gosh you have seen some things”, and my response was “yes, but we see more at Lismore Base”. The huge geographical area, combined with isolation, economic pressure, natural disasters and limited resources, made this probably the most challenging environment to work in. I think this was highlighted for me, coming from the city where everything is at your fingertips. After working in Lismore for a few years, I had my first baby. We now have three boys, who are 9, 6, and 4 years old. Getting that work-life balance was essential. My husband Chris is currently studying for his Master's in Primary Teaching, so I am fortunate that with shiftwork and Chris studying, I could still progress my career while we were having our children. We’ve always managed the balance quite well, working shiftwork helps with that, but we still rely on childcare and daycare services. With Northern Rivers Family Daycare, we were lucky again in getting into the system before some of the barriers to getting into childcare started happening. Similarly, we bought our house just before the prices really rose exponentially; we know how lucky we are. We don’t have family to rely on up here, so it’s just us doing it.  During this time, I moved back to Ballina ED to work closer to home, which is also a great department, where teamwork is essential in keeping chaos at bay. After our first baby arrived, I started to think that emergency wasn’t for me anymore, especially the thought of potentially having to work each Christmas and miss out on sharing those important times with the children. I think I made that a firm decision when my eldest boy was about two.  I enrolled with the Australian College of Nursing and did a Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health. This work is a community-based role with no shift work. With this role, every woman who has a baby gets offered a visit from a specialist Child and Family health nurse, who support swomen and families to be the best parents they can be, do child development checks and provide immunisations.I worked in the role at a few locations, mainly Lismore and Goonellabah, and for a short time at Casino, casually for a couple of years after having my third baby. I think I am still an ED nurse at heart, but it was the right decision at the time. I still work casually in community health, as a nurse audiometrist, supported by this local health district to complete the study required for the role last year. In 2022, another new direction saw the opportunity for my current permanent role as a Domestic Violence Prevention Officer. I was talking to an old friend from ED, Kath, who was just leaving this position. I thought it sounded like a good role for me, but the position had already been filled. However, it was readvertised about four weeks later, and I applied and was successful. My role is to support health staff to identify and respond to Domestic Violence.  There are many factors that contribute to the impacts of violence. Supporting health staff to have the knowledge around this, and to be trauma-informed as part of our response to people, is a huge part of my role. We look less at the “what” people do and the ways in which they present to health services, and more to the reasons “why”; what experiences have they had in their life that make them vulnerable. This is so important because we know that our responses to people really affect how and whether or not they later seek more help after those initial responses. (Joanna Martin - Nurse of the Year)My role comes under the policy and programs team within the Integrated Prevention and Response to Violence Abuse and Neglect (IPARVAN) service. This is a strategic role concerned with supporting the health policy around family violence, staff responses to clients disclosing domestic violence, prevention work and education. Maintaining connections with non-government services in the sector is a big part of the role, too, knowing that many of our clients rely on these services to provide other needs outside of health, such as legal advice or financial assistance. I can really see how the IPARVAN team definitely makes a difference; they are totally dedicated, and our managers are supportive and approachable. They make it really easy to do well and achieve great outcomes. In time I would certainly like to see no need for this kind of work; it’s not a reality, but hopefully the small steps we take do make a difference. Statistics indicate it’s not getting better, however it is common knowledge that this is a very difficult area to collect data on. Positively we do know that community attitudes to domestic violence are improving, which is one aspect of change needed to address it on the whole. What’s in the future? I feel I will stay in this role for some time; the position is so interesting, my managers and team are very supportive, and flexible around my days so I can do clinical work outside of my two set days in this role. I still do casual clinical work as an Audiometry Nurse with Community Health. Outside of work, I really enjoy walking and being as active as I can, but I’m not really interested in team sports; I’m just not competitive in that way. I like cycling – the whole family has done parts of the rail trail – the kids love their bikes. I love camping and exploring the region.  I love my books; I’m a very eclectic reader; I’ll read anything anyone hands me, really, happy to give it a go; I belong to two library book clubs and the kids are all readers too. My 9-year-old is into Harry Potter and fantasy action books.  I’ve come back to playing piano again after many years; no particular style – just self-entertainment – I enjoy tackling classical pieces as well as well-known pop ballads. The kids are keen for me to master the very famous Rimsky-Korsakov piece, which is unlikely but I may give it a go! My kids are also learning and enjoying the piano. I go to community events if they interest me; I attended parts of the Lismore Women's Festival, and I’ll probably drop into the writers’ festival this month and catch up with friends.  We have a dog – a bitza girl called Sookie – named after a famous vampire novel heroine, but her name also reflects part of her persona! She and the kids love to get to the beach whenever we can – just so they can bring tons of sand home with them.  The boys are heavily involved with soccer; they love the game and all of them are in teams. Chris coaches one of the teams.   Ideally, I’d love to see my boys grow up to be gentle and open and not affected by this culture of misogyny that many are born into. All we can do is set a good example for them at home. 

As you will read, Edward (Ed) John Bennett has left a full life. Ed worked hard on his education, his job, his sport, his volunteer life, and his family. Darlene Cook sat down with Ed so he could tell his life story. I was born in 1940 in Casino, the youngest child in a family of six, with three brothers and two sisters. I have to admit that being the baby of the family meant I was probably spoiled a fair bit by my parents and older siblings.I know my younger sister, who was six when I was born, was so happy because she now had a real live baby doll to play with!My father’s family were working at Wyan Station when he was born in 1886. They then moved to Wooroowoolgen Station, near Casino, where my father had his three years of schooling between the ages of 10 and 13. In 1899, they moved to the western portion of Dyraaba Station and lived at Theresa Creek.It is interesting that I have as many tertiary qualifications as my father had years at school. This is a big jump in one generation, but it is due to the difference in opportunities that we had.By the time I was born, the family lived on a 400-acre dairy farm at Simpkins Creek, Mummulgum, which my father operated in conjunction with a grazing property at Theresa Creek.During WW2, farming was a Reserved Occupation, and many farmers were not accepted to enlist in the armed forces. However, like many other farming people, my father joined the Volunteer Defence Corps, a part-time military force modelled on the British Home Guard.There were some food and clothing shortages during the war years. I remember my mother’s joy at bringing home a bag of rice in 1946 – a small luxury at the time. Electricity and a telephone were finally connected to the farm in 1948. Life on the farm was not all work and no play. Every year we had a beach holiday, camping at Evans Head for a month from Boxing Day. However, it was not for all the family. There was not much time at the beach for my father and brothers because the cows still had to be milked, so it was Mum, my sisters and me at the beach.(Ed on family holiday at Evan’s Head)My four oldest siblings completed their schooling at Mummulgum Primary School, proceeding beyond sixth class to what was called super primary, or seventh and eighth division, until they reached leaving age.Most of us rode a horse to school, except the younger of my sisters, who preferred a bike. My younger sister was the first to go to high school in Casino. She left school while in 4th year to work in a bank in Ballina. All my siblings married and moved to their own dairy farms around the district.(Ed on his pony Tim on the farm at Simpkin Creek, Mummulgum. Ed used to ride Tim the two miles to school.)My mother encouraged me not to leave school early, but to continue my education through high school; I attended Marist Brothers School in Casino for 1st to 3rd year and then Casino High for 4th and 5th years.I was the first family member to complete high school and go on to higher education.I was fortunate to win a Teachers College Scholarship to the University of New England in Armidale, where I studied Geography, Economics, English and Geology. I gained my Teaching Certificate at Sydney Teachers College.I met my wife, Denise, at a dance at Sydney Teachers College in 1960. Denise came from Wagga Wagga, and we married in Wagga in 1962. We have two daughters, Susan and Megan.In August 1964, we bought a property of just under 5 acres fronting the Wilsons River upstream from Lismore that had been a market garden. Over the years, we have observed many floods at close quarters. We ran a couple of cows for many years. We are still there today, and a ride-on mower has replaced the cows.In 1961, I began my teaching career at Ashfield in Sydney, then spent two years in Albury. In 1964, I transferred to Richmond River High. In 1990, I took a position as Head Teacher Administration at Casino High, where I retired at the end of 1998.(Ed with one of his classes at Richmond River High School in 1967)I well remember my start at Richmond River High School. After my transfer to Richmond River was finalised, I received a welcoming letter from Ray Blue, who was the Master in charge of the Commerce Department that I was to join. Amongst other things, he said, “as a fit young male, you'll be expected to do four things.”First was playing in the cricket team that was made up mostly of Richmond River staff because Southern Districts Cricket Club had just re-formed, and one of our staff members organised a ready-made Reserve Grade team, which the club was happy to adopt.Second, was to play golf as several of the staff, including the Headmaster, were keen golfers. This suited me as I had been a member of Albury Golf Club. My golfing career started when I was in my fourth year at Casino High. One of my best mates was Bill Bosley, a classmate who was a leading NSW junior golfer. He invited me to have a hit with him when he used to practice after school. My brother, Don, bought a second-hand set of clubs for me and I was ‘hooked’.(Ed driving on the 1st tee at Lismore Golf Club)Third, was to join the Civil Defence flood boat group because it was run by one of the staff, and about ten staff members were active floodboaters. Just one week after school started in 1964, I was out on the river in a boat learning the ropes.Fourth, was to “give the lizard a run” at the Metropole on a Friday afternoon. I was unfamiliar with the saying, but soon found out it was going and having a beer with the staff at the end of the week.Sport, travel and community service have always played a big part of my life. In the past 61 years in Lismore, I’ve been involved with a variety of organisations and activities.As a student at Casino High, I represented the school in rugby league, athletics, cricket and tennis and played cricket with the Teachers team in the Casino competition. At home, I played for Mummulgum Cricket Club in that local group competition. While at university in Armidale, I played cricket and rugby union, and while at Sydney Teachers College I played for Fernleigh in South Sydney Junior League.Here in Lismore, I played cricket for Southern Districts for almost 15 years and served in both President and selector roles during that time.I joined Lismore Golf Club in 1964, and I am still a regular player. Soon after joining, I was elected to the committee on which I spent a total of twenty-five years, including some years as President, and Captain. I was granted life membership of the Club in 2015.As well, I worked as an official at the Australian Open Golf Championship in Sydney on 15 occasions between 2006 and 2024.In addition to golf, I play tennis once or twice each week.Travel has taken me to just over fifty countries and all seven continents, including Antarctica and to all corners of Australia.(Ed and Susan kayaking in Antarctica)During my children’s school years, I served on committees of St Carthage’s P&F and Richmond River’s P&C.I was a keen bushwalker, and after retirement, I was a member of the Northern Rivers Bushwalking Club committee, including some years as President, and led many Sunday walks.I’ve been a member of U3A for over 30 years, and I’ve been a convenor of a French class and am currently a convenor of a tennis group. I’m also the organisation’s Public Officer.The history of this area, and my family history, are both important to me. I have been a member of the Richmond River Historical Society for many years and was Secretary of the Society for ten years.I have served in the SES for over 60 years – and earlier this year I received a 60 Years Service Certificate. I joined in 1964 and spent 11 years in the Lismore Flood Boat Group. Since 1975, I have been involved in flood intelligence, firstly at Richmond Tweed SES HQ, now called the North Eastern Zone, at Lancaster Drive, Goonellabah and since 2016 at the Lismore City Unit in Brunswick Street. (Ed, Denise and Susan on the day Ed received his 60-year SES service award)My role in Flood Intelligence involves monitoring rainfall and stream conditions in the Wilsons-Leycester catchment during flood events and providing information and advice to local and regional Incident Managers to assist them with operational planning and management. I am assisted in this by about thirty people who belong to a catchment Floodwatcher Group.The floodwatchers often provide very useful information about rainfall, stream levels and road conditions, which supplements data from the automatic rain and stream gauges in the catchment. During the quiet periods between flood events, I continue to collect and analyse historical flood data in order to better understand how floods develop and behave, with the aim of providing the best possible service to the community during times of flooding.What of the future? Well, at this stage of my life, a quieter life beckons, but while I remain fit and able, I will keep on playing golf and tennis and will continue to indulge in another passion, travel, with Denise.

On Monday, June 16 2025, Ros Irwin passed away. Ros loved Lismore and dedicated her life to improving the city as she saw it, so much so thatRos was a Lismore City Councillor for nearly 18 years and the Mayor of Lismore for three years. In 2019, former Lismore App journalist Liina Flynn sat down with Ros to chat about her life story. This is Ros Irwin's Sunday Profile.Once the mayor of Lismore and an academic at Southern Cross University, Ros Irwin now spends her time doing everything she can to help our endangered koala population with Friends of the Koala. With her partner Bill Shaeffe, they have transformed their property into a koala sanctuary under a perpetual conservation agreement. Her mission now is to create a better future for koalas.Walking through the Friends of the Koala (FoK) Care Centre and koala tree nursery on Rifle Range Road in Lismore, FoK president Ros Irwin shows her obvious passion for koalas.At a large wire net enclosure, she points to a large koala who is making a loud grunting noise (like a pig), while hiding inside a clump of eucalyptus branches.“That’s Triumph, when he makes that noise, it means he’s a randy boy,” she said.Nearby, another koala called Marley is the oldest koala FoK has in care. “We had to get a tree climber to rescue him,” Ros said.In another caged enclosure, signs on the door pronounce the koalas inside are Lauren, Charlotte and Sweetie.“Sweetie can’t be released due to state government law that a sterile koala can’t be released into the wild,” Ros said. “It’s a shame because she could be looking after the young koalas.“Lauren has retrovirus, and her kidneys packed it in. It could be the end of her soon.”Ros Irwin has spent her life helping people, and now she devotes her time to helping our endangered koala populations. Over the last three years, FoK has rescued 438, 369 and then 394 koalas per year.“50% of the koalas rescued in NSW are rescued by Friends of the Koala,” Ros said. Big job“FoK takes my time and my concern. “It’s a huge undertaking, and I’m not sure where we are going if we can’t meet the ongoing costs of running the care centre.”These days, Ros spends her time writing grant submissions, annual reports and newsletters, and is on the regional koala conservation committee.“I spend a lot of time educating people about what a healthy koala is, especially kids in schools,” she said.“If we can teach kids about koalas at a young age, we know they will tell their parents to slow down when they see koala signs on the road.(Friends of the Koala care centre, koala tree nursery)Tough game“It’s a tough game to be in when you look at the koala statistics.“It’s financially difficult, and it keeps me awake at night.“In Port Stevens and Gunnedah, there are no koalas left – and Kyogle council still need to identify how many koalas they have in their area. We rescued 27 koalas there last year, and they were mostly euthanised as sick animals.”Funding Recently, FoK received a $56K community projects grant to construct 3.5m fence to make an enclosure at the care centre into a koala kindergarden - and Ros wrote the successful project application.Ros is also working on the Hinterland Project, where Ballina Byron, Tweed, and Lismore councils work together and give FoK $15K a year for three years to pay for a vet and vet nurse.FoK also received $50K from National Parks and Wildlife for rescue equipment. But Ros said the problem is a lack of funding for long-term maintenance.“Lismore Council doesn’t fund us, except for $2000 a year to take dead koalas to the tip,” Ros said.“We rely on donations - a big donation funded our new office, and public education centre, and a vet building, but we need sponsorship.“We are running a volunteer organisation, but have to pay staff too, and we’re not funded for ongoing running costs.”Volunteer jobsRos has been the president of FoK for two years and has spent five years on the committee.“We have our annual general meeting on October 24,” she said.“We desperately need a treasurer - a retired auditor or an accountant would be good. We need a vice president too.“Most people want to do practical jobs like collect leaves for the koalas every day, and we are always looking for help - especially on the committee.”(Ros and Bill looking at the collected leaves for feeding koalas)Ros and BillRos and her partner Bill Shaeffe have been together for 13 years and have a koala kindie at their 4.65 hectare property in Caniaba.It’s an animal sanctuary with a conservation listing in perpetuity, making it land for wildlife, protected under State Government legislation.“We can’t look after it forever, and we want to make sure it will always be there for koalas,” Ros said.“We spent five years every Sunday clearing weeds from gullies and now have the Bush Connect program helping with rainforest regeneration.“We’ve rehabilitated three different types of rainforest, and we’ve seen koalas using the rainforest too. It's cool in hot weather for them.“We soft release them there first into big trees so they can build up their muscle tone, and later we’ll release them close to the place they were taken from.”Ros and Bill are also staffing the FoK rescue phone one day a week.“We are also rescuers, and we might get called to a rescue at 1am,” she said.“I picked up a burnt koala from Drake after bushfires. It had blood in its kidneys and was put down.“It’s a huge responsibility, and you learn a lot about koalas. It’s a 100% full-time job. “Bill and I laugh – there’s no retirement for us.“Our passion originated when Bill picked up a big male koala hit by a car. “When he was brought to the care centre, we tipped the cage a little so we could slide him out, and he screamed. Every bone in his body was broken.“When koalas are first hit, the adrenaline kicks in and they race up a tree.“So when we go to collect them, we need to put a trap around the tree to stop them jumping into other trees.“They are not stupid animals – they don’t actually sleep 24/7. They rest for about 18 hours. “If you are under their tree chatting, they know and will move ten minutes later. They know what we are doing. “Koalas are amazingly gentle, lovely animals.”Ros had been scratched by a koala once and said it hurt.“We are lucky at our place. We have 54 trees in the koala kindie,” she said.“We had one dominant male koala we released called Sid. “He comes back near our place to visit, and he impregnated a young koala called MacKenzie. “She loves to hang in the French forest redgum tree, and we saw her one day there with a baby with her. She came home with her bub to show us.“Beyond the kindie, there are more trees, and we saw a wild koala there. It could have been one of the baby koalas we released; they are chipped but not tagged.“We are trying to find out where and how far koalas move using spatial analysis with GPS. “It’s a project with wild koalas where we track them. This info will feed into the koala management plan in the area.“FoK also spent 20K on research by Sydney University to find out why koala joeys often die after they are released. “We don’t know why. It’s the first study done. (One of the koalas in care climbing in its enclosure)Labour of LoveIt’s a labour of love for Ros and Bill, and they raise a family of koalas. “It’s good for your soul rescuing and looking after koalas,” she said. “So few of them get released into the wild. “They are a complex animal and their closest living relative if the wombat.“We need a better state government strategy for them and deal with the biggest problem which is the removal of their habitat. “We are driving them to extinction.“When we remove their habitat, it puts them on the ground and they get stressed, diseased and attacked by dogs. “The stress stimulates the koala retrovirus – its like AIDS. And chlamydia affects the females, giving them cystitis on their ovaries and makes them infertile.Recently, FoK responded to a call by someone who found a dead koala found hanging by its head on a farmers gate.“We know it was attacked by a dog," Ros said.“We need to educate people to train their dogs not to attack a koala, or to fence their yards and stop koalas getting onto their land.“Dog attacks are the worst - at least a car hitting one means immediate death. Hot spots“Some of the hot spots where koalas are hit on the roads are on Wyrallah Road at the Bora Ring, Ruthven and McKies Hill Hall.“That’s where we want to see 40 kmh signs posted on the roads, but that needs $40K in funding.(Ros, outside of one of the FoK koala enclosures)CouncilRos spent nearly 18 years on Lismore City Council as a councillor, from 1992 to 2008, as well as being deputy mayor for two years, then Mayor.She was also on Rous County Council as the chair for two years and a member of the Local Government Association Board for five years.“I always said when I was on Council I wanted to get a koala plan on management in place,” Ros said.“Bob Gates was the mayor then, and it didn’t go anywhere. I knew back then I wanted to work with Friends of the Koala. “I was very busy at that time. “I was working full time and doing my PhD in political science, conducting research into women leaders in government in five countries. “I took six months off work to finish my research, and then I met Bill and didn’t finish it as quickly as I wanted.“My studies were done at night, and I had trouble sleeping then. I’d be awake at 2am and do my study then.”Ros also worked at Southern Cross University as a lecturer in social sciences for 15 years, before leaving Council to work in Bill’s coffee business, Caddies Coffee. After they sold the business, the two of them took on their koala conservation work full-time.Loving Lismore“I love Lismore,” Ros said. “We have a diverse community here, and it’s accepting of everything.”Ros grew up with a father who worked for the Commonwealth Bank, and they moved a lot for work to different Australian capital cities.“I was always the new kid in town. It was hard to make friends when you move all the time. “So when I came to Lismore, I found community and felt like I belonged here.“My upbringing made me more introspective and more of a hermit. “It’s important to be reflective.“If anyone says they don’t regret anything they have done, they are not being honest. Everyone makes mistakes.“Being a politician means you need to be in touch with what people in the world are feeling.“I was a rebellious kid. I wanted to study law, but discovered boys and didn’t do so well at school, so I had to do extra school studies to get accepted into university. “Then I went to Latrobe and did legal studies.”Ros first came to Lismore after working around Australia for the public service in employment and industrial relations.“I came to Lismore as a corporate services manager, and I was also working at Council, writing management plans for them before I ran for Council myself. “I had a good understanding of what to do as I went to every council meeting. “I looked at people who hadn’t read the document before the meeting and thought, I’m going to run.”So Ros ran on a community independent ticket with Diana Roberts, and Lyn Carson was voted in as councillor in 1992.“We doubled the number of women on council,” Ros said.“I say to anyone wanting to run for council next year that if you are interested, do it. “You can make changes and get things done.“One of the changes I brought in was to get the votes of councillors recorded so they were accountable for their decisions, and introduced public question time.  “It wasn’t always easy being a councillor – people hate you or love you.“If you can please 60% of the people, you are doing well.“Being on council is politics - and being a woman on council does bring discrimination.“I always treated everyone with respect until they showed me that I shouldn’t.” When Ros decided to leave Lismore City Council, she said she knew it was time.“Every meeting seemed the same,” she said. “If you are smart, you know when it’s time to go.“I walked away, and I only go back to meetings now if they involve koalas.“Now I just want to help people and koalas. “Money doesn’t make me happy, but it would be good to have more to help the koalas.”If you would like to help out Friends of the Koala or find out more information, visit https://www.friendsofthekoala.org/

There’s a new top dog coming to the Richmond Police District.The Lismore App had a chat with incoming Superintendent Scott Tanner, who starts his new role in the local district tomorrow, taking over from Supt Toby Lindsay. We wanted to find out more about who he is, where he’s been and what direction he wants to take local policing in - especially as we move into a new era of living under Covid restrictions. Superintendent Scott Tanner is a self-professed Bali bogan who loves rugby league and is ready to take serious action on domestic violence. As he takes over the head police role, he is ready to bring his empathy and people skills to the region and take the district into a new era.“My motto is that I want police to be approachable and for the community to have faith and trust in them – after all, we go to work to look after and protect the community,” Supt Tanner said.“I’ve developed community engagement skills over the years and want to make sure our police force does a good job and are supported in what they do.”Before coming to our local area, he was Superintendent in the New England Police District and has moved around regionally over the course of his career, gradually moving up the ranks of the Force.Why join the police?“I was 19 when I joined – before that, I did odd jobs and went to university for a while, but it didn’t suit me,” he said. “I was in Port Macquarie and a friend’s dad was a police inspector there. That was my first link with police, and I admired and looked up to him and thought it would be a good career, so I joined the police. I was in training on my 20th birthday.”Training“Back then, the emphasis was on physical fitness and teamwork. I’d played football all my life and sport and the police force have a lot in common. I looked forward to the camaraderie that’s a part of police culture – and it’s about having a good time.”Supt Tanner graduated from police training in Newcastle as a Probationary Constable and started doing demonstration patrols in different locations for three months at a time. In1994 he, transferred to Grafton, then moved around NSW, to Nymboida and Manilla near Tamworth, Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, then Dubbo and Armidale.He moved up the ranks from Constable to Sergeant, then Inspector, until he was promoted to Superintendent in the New England region. He said while the aspirational career path moves toward the role of Commander, he’s just focusing on his new role as Superintendent and is looking forward to the job ahead.What does the Superintendent role entail?“I am the commanding officer in charge of all district police, and I set the strategic direction of policing crime and engaging with community,” he said.In the Richmond Police District, he has 190 staff – but in his previous role, he had 209 and managed three large police stations in Armidale and Moree.“I’m used to big stations,” he said. “To do the job takes empathy and people skills. Communication is the key. You need to be well organised and give people your time.Tough things“As police, we see the best and worst in society. We attend fatal motor vehicle accidents, suicides, murder scenes - heartbreaking stuff.”It was not an easy career path sometimes.“I was only 20 years old when I graduated, and I had to go to people’s places where domestic incidents had occurred and tell people a lot older than me how to run their lives – that was hard," he said.Scary momentBeing a police officer is not for the faint-hearted. Supt Tanner said he had already spent 13 years on the tactical squad, involved in sieges and high-risk incidents.“We were faced with guns and cranky people with knives,” he said. “You rely on your training to get through that stuff – and we have good trainers, role models and mentors.What does it take to be a police officer?“Common sense is a big part of it – so is being part of a team. You need to have a bit of get up and go, be a good communicator, and have a crack. It’s the greatest career."Great things He said some of the good things about the job are getting to interact with different people, giving them an opportunity to change their life direction.“In the western region, I’ve been working with Aboriginal communities - running fitness programs, Sydney trips and one-on-one mentoring with kids,” he said. “It’s important to help break kids out of cycles that lead them into crime and poverty – it helps them get jobs and a better life.“In the Lismore PCYC, the Fit for Life program is an example of this. It’s part of the Rise Up strategy to empower young people to make better life choices.“It’s often as simple as interacting with them in a positive way when attending a job.Positive influence“For example, if I see a kid riding a bike with no helmet, I’ll refer them to the PCYC or buy them a helmet – that’s a positive influence, not a negative interaction.Sport“I’m also a big Newcastle Knights tragic. I love rugby league, and I played for the Grafton Ghosts when I was younger.“We played against the Marist Brothers team quite often, and I remember they were a strong side back in the day.“I also used to coach the under-16s team and won a premiership with them.”COVID and policing With police playing a big role in policing the Government’s constantly changing Covid-19 regulations, how does Supt Tanner see this role changing in the future?“It’s a difficult balance. If you said 12 months ago you can’t leave home because of a virus, it sounded crazy,” he said.“When Covid initially hit, we engaged with people and explained why we were doing it. We worked with the Aboriginal community on a daily basis to protect them.“While the Government decides the rules and enforcement is a part of it, as Covid goes on, we need people to take personal responsibility.“If I can come to Richmond and not issue one ticket, I’ll consider it a complete success. I know people are doing it tough and losing their jobs, but people are also losing their loved ones.“Police have been given a lead role in protecting community – 'Serve and Protect' is our motto, and we will make sure we get through this Covid crisis. This lifestyle is the new normal, and it’s a bit of an adjustment period for people.What’s his plan for Richmond Police District?“First, I listen to the police already working there and get a sense of what has been working and what can be improved.“We are lucky here, Richmond cops do an outstanding job. It’s not about re-inventing the wheel.”Focus on domestic violenceSupt Tanner said he intends to bring a strong message that domestic and family violence is not okay.“Domestic and family violence incidents were high in the western region,” he said“It’s been something I’ve been involved in for years – the rising number of them means I focus on checking up on those people with restraining orders and engage with the victims to break the cycle.“In New England, if I issued a restraining order, you would expect to be in court - no buts or maybes. I will be strict on protecting those who can’t protect themselves."“We know the time between an arrest and court is the most successful time to change someone’s behaviour. We want to break the cycle of people ending up in jail."“Often, when someone commits a crime, there’s a lag time of up to six weeks before their court time. That’s when they should be under scrutiny and can practice self-awareness and make a change."Rural crimeSupt Tanner said he will also be taking a hard line on rural crime.“Rural crime could be everything from stealing firearms, growing drugs or trespassing,” he said. “There is already a great rural crime prevention team at Richmond.”Life and familySupt Tanner is married and has four older children and one foster daughter.His wife is also a police officer and will be taking up the role of Sergeant in charge of domestic violence incidents at Richmond Police District next week.When it comes to living and working together, Supt Tanner said, “At work, I’m the boss and at home, she’s the boss.”“She’s passionate and good at her job, and I’m lucky to have her,” he said.“We met in the police force when I worked in Tamworth, and then we got married.”HolidaysSupt Tanner said he is a Bali bogan who will, unfortunately, be going through withdrawal from his island paradise this year.“I can’t go to Bali with the family this year because the borders are closed, so overseas holidays are on the back burner,” he said. “We took a caravan holiday earlier this year instead."Scott Tanner starts a new role as Superintendent of the Liverpool Police District in western Sydney. We wish him and his family all the best and say 'thank you' for doing an excellent job in Lismore and the Northern Rivers.

Dr Chris Ingall is an extraordinary human. He has a bedside manner that should be bottled.As a leading paediatrician, he has helped families in their time of need and helped a community by having the vision to form the popular 'Our Kids' charity. Our Kids has raised millions of dollars for life-saving paediatric equipment that our community wouldn't otherwise get. That equipment has helped thousands of people and families during the worst of times. Then there is Our House, another legacy where people have access to subsidised accommodation as they or their relatives receive treatment at Lismore Base Hospital.Thursday, April 17, was Dr Chris Ingall's final day of work. The tributes rolled in from the many lives that he has touched since his arrival in Lismore in 1987.I had the pleasure of sitting with Dr Chris at his medical rooms near Lismore Base Hospital in January 2022, and recorded a Sunday Profile. This is the life story of a man who will be sorely missed in his profession; however, you will continue to see him on the streets of Lismore or on his bike out for a long ride. I was born in Sydney at the hospital in Crown Street, I think it was.We lived in Maroubra in the Sutherland Shire for a while, then moved to Cheltenham and then down to Cooma for five years from when I was about 10 to 16.Dad was a fang, a dentist, and it would be fair to say he was a restless soul, so after about five years in a place, he would pull up stumps and go somewhere else. He did this all his life, really; seven years would be a good innings anywhere.There were a lot of different schools over the years. Monaro High School in Cooma was interesting because it had engineers from all over the world due to the Snowy Hydro Electric scheme in the ‘60s and ‘70s and their kids all went to Monaro High. We had this bevy of enormously intelligent engineers' sons from all over the world, so it was quite interesting growing up there.For the last three years of schooling, I went to boarding school. Dad sat me down one time and said, “I like their product, son. So you're going to go to Joeys at Hunters Hill” (in Sydney). I started boarding at Joey’s for Years 10, 11 and 12.I didn’t cope too well, no, let’s say I coped, but I didn’t enjoy it very much. I couldn’t see the point of it. Why would you take someone away from their family and friends? I think it was for a common good, from my Dad’s point of view, that I would perhaps do better academically. I asked him what he meant about liking Joey’s as a product later, and he said their values and service, and it’s true, Marist Brothers are all about service. You've got god’s gifts and the community with those gifts, and that was a fairly strong message in my time at Joey’s.Joey’s was, of course, huge at rugby. I was in the sevenths (laughs). We used to train three or four times a week, and we would play Aloysius thirds or Barker firsts and beat them 44 nil, it was nuts. Back then, rugby was part of the religion. There was Kings and Riverview, our closest rival and the one we wanted to win. Everyone had to turn up for the big games, and everyone had to know the war cry. I have occasionally gone back to Joey’s for a 10-year reunion or something, and there's all these kids in the stands during a crucial part of the game, and they're all on their mobile phones.When I graduated, the family had moved back to Collaroy, which was good. I received a letter in the mail from the Board of Studies, which had my name and the letters acau, all lower case, and it was signed at the bottom. It was my Year 12 result.(Chris with Jenny, Gabrielle and Billy, his younger brother and sisters in 1976)I went to my brother, who was a year ahead of me and had started medicine at Sydney Uni, and I said I got this and he said, “Yeah, I got one of them”. I said What does it mean and he replied, “Just ask Dad” That's typical big brother.So, I went and asked Dad what it meant, and he said, “Your brother got one of them. Go ask your brother” I said No, I asked him, and he said to ask you!He told me ‘all courses, all universities’. I said," That's good, right?" and he said, “Yeah, son, you can do law or medicine. If you do law, you have to sell your soul. Come back to me tomorrow”.I came back to him the next day and said, “Dad, I don’t want to sell my soul and he said, “Right medicine it is then,” and that was it.With medicine, I thought I could do so much good, or it would be so interesting and then when I got in it, I realised it was where I wanted to be.Today, you can see kids in so many courses where they are just not a good fit, even in medicine, when I get the young ones coming through, so I am very fortunate that I landed in a place that suited my temperament and skillset. I loved my university days; they were just the best.While at medical school, I knew I wanted to do paediatrics. Paediatrics is about growth, people growing. Why does my finger grow? Why does it stop? Why does a child grow? Why does a child stop growing? How do they grow? It fascinated me and I thought this is really interesting and embryology is part of that, how do my organs form? Of course, we know very little now, we’re still largely clueless, but we observe it and it’s fascinating and wonderful. At that time, I said I have to do paediatrics.When I completed my studies, I graduated with second-class honours and went to North Shore for my first intern year. I went there because my brother went there; there was a lot of slipstreaming in those days.North Shore had good rotations, and soon I went to Gosford, and I really enjoyed that size hospital. Back then, Gosford was very much like the size of Lismore when I came up here after I finished paediatrics.So, I finished at Gosford and came back to Camperdown (children’s hospital). There was a wonderful man called John Overton who was rung up by a local anaesthetist, Bob McGuiness, who was in Gosford, and Bob said You have to take this bloke. Then a position came up and I applied with other folk and got the job.I loved Camperdown. Everyone knew everyone, and there were a dozen consultants, there were probably 20 registrars, some residents, and everyone was very supportive. It was like a family.One time, there was a transport for an indigenous baby in Alice Springs who needed respiratory support, and the plane from Adelaide had broken down. So, they asked me to go and get this baby and take it to Adelaide. I asked how, and they said get a cab out of Richmond (Western Sydney), where we have a Hercules waiting for you. So, we took an empty Hercules to Adelaide, intubated and ventilated this tiny baby and put it on life support, handed the baby over and then flew back to Sydney to the dawn.They are unforgettable moments, I must admit. It was wonderful to think that you are giving this child a chance. Paediatrics is full of that, as I’m getting on I see people in general practice or residents and they say I couldn’t do paed’s because they have a child that age, so it’s very touching in that way, and I’ve got grandkids now who are that age. You can’t escape that as a person, but you try to be a professional and say it is not going to stop me doing the job, but equally it is a privilege. At the end of the day, you say this is a really great privilege to be able to step into a person’s life and help at that moment.(The 2022 Our Kids Calendar)Do you bring home those emotions with you?I would be lying if I said you don’t bring them home to a degree, because you do. I would come home and say to Cath “I think I need a beer, today was a tough one because we lost a baby” and then we would talk about it. What is the expression? A trouble shared….You just muddle through, and everyone did their best. As you get older in the game, say a baby comes into ED (emergency department) there might be two anaesthetists, two ED staff and a number of nurses and they’re waiting.They will call me in, and I can see that the baby has already left, but they’re still ventilating, and there is still a heartbeat. At that moment, I’ve got to be the closest person to that baby. So, you would come up and I would say, “Just let me do this bagging here now,” and you just gradually let everyone off the hook.You bring the parents in and you get them to touch their baby and talk to them as they know their voice, talk and touch, you get the parents to be part of it. Then you say “I’m really sorry” and then you don’t say anything for a minute, they know, they know.They surface again and I say, “If we keep going like this, we’re not going to do him any favours. His pupils are not reacting, his mind has left. We might keep his heart going, but does he want that? Do you want that? They cry some more, and I say this is my decision, this is not your decision. I think we need to allow him to go. Nature needs to take your baby now. We’ve done everything we can here, but this is his time, and this is not on you.I leave them with their baby and make cups of tea. Everyone did what they could, they couldn’t have done any better, there was no cause in this from them (staff) and the outcome that no one wants. Then I go home and have a scotch.When did you come to the Northern Rivers?I came to Lismore straight from finishing at Camperdown in 1987.David Gilmour, who was the only paediatrician in the Northern Rivers, was looking for someone to share the on-call with. There weren’t too many people in Grafton and Tweed then so David was a very busy man although they would have been choppered in and out.He did a one-in-one for about 9 years, I did a one-in-two for about another decade, and then Dr Ian Lennon and David Meldrum came, so now we have it down to one-in-four.I was clueless when I came up as to how long I wanted to stay for. I remember thinking about what it was going to be like up here. I knew I wasn’t a city guy; I didn’t enjoy the city that much. It is like a treat-to-people ratio, you know, this has got the right treat-to-people ratio up here, it’s just nice.When I came to Lismore, I met my wife Cath in 1993, so 28 years ago. She had been living in Sydney then came to the Northern Rivers.We haven’t had any children together, but have children each from previous marriages, three for Cath and two for me.Sue, my first wife and I have two girls, Jessica and Camilla, who are both in Sydney.(Chris being a Dad with daughters Jessica and Camilla in 1990)Jessica is more a business head and works for Nickelodeon and Channel 10. I ask her what she does, and she says, “I do lunch” (laughing), so she's working the sponsorship side of it.Camilla runs her own company called Unfolded, which deals with interior design; she is more creative. During lockdown, she spent three months in Ballina, doubling her business, which proves that a lot of jobs can now be based anywhere.Cath has three children: Adam, Julia and Alyce. Alyce is working in the children’s ward as a nurse.There is no medicine in the family anymore, but perhaps they saw what I did and said Are you crazy? (laughs).The three ticks for our kids were that they woke up in the morning to a job they liked, they would find a partner they enjoyed living with, and they don’t do drugs, but after that, they are on their own.We are very fortunate; I feel very blessed about that. With kids, you just can’t chart their life. They all come home for Christmas; they are all healthy, so we are very lucky.How do you unwind?I’ve always loved cycling, the joy of cycling.I will cycle a few times a week in the mornings between 5 and 6:30, and it lifts my mood and gives me a little bit of buffer. I can handle things so much better if I have been riding the bicycle that morning for a tough situation or conflict.This weekend, I’ll ride the low-tide beach from Patches to Broadwater or up to South Broadwater. I’ll be the only bloke on the beach now because the cars are gone from South Ballina beach. I just marvel at being able to drive my car 25 minutes and then ride my bike in the wilderness. It’s just such a beautiful part of the world.(Our Kids board members, from left, Tanya Jones, Tanya Kirkland, Dr Chris Ingall, Suzette Pearce and Rebekka Battista)How did Our Kids come about?When I came here in ’87, I realised pretty quickly that the budget didn’t stretch to paediatric equipment very easily.If David and I had a child that needed ventilating, a newborn, and the plane was coming, we would just bag that baby for four hours because there was no ventilator. I was thinking there has to be a better way, a machine that does this for me.We couldn’t use an adult machine as it delivered too much pressure, too much volume, so we would try to put a ventilator on the list and it would get up near the top, and then it would get knocked off by an ICU purchase or a theatre purchase.That is just the way it is, having a small paediatric unit in a large adult hospital. So, I thought to myself, god helps those who help themselves, so let’s start a fund.Initially, the idea came with a family who had two boys with muscle dystrophy, and then another girl was born with another muscle problem.We take our muscles for granted. When you have a muscle problem, just about everything that you can imagine is affected. It is a very expensive life in terms of ventilator support, being able to be lifted everywhere, transport, wheelchairs, cars and hoists. So, these families went and started fundraising, and it split one of them and nearly split the other one because the fathers, who were good, honest tradies, couldn’t stump up $65,000 for this or that. So, the mums started fundraising, and the fathers would say no, no, that’s my job to provide for my family.I thought there is something fundamentally wrong with this picture, that is something that the community, I am sure, if they knew about it would back. I also knew that the community would not back random families they have never met asking themselves is this the real deal? Trust would need to be built.So, I thought if we start off with hospital equipment and build trust, then we can start looking at the same money also helping the community. We call that community grants now, and NDIS has largely taken the burden off that, which is terrific, but that was the first arm.Then, through the hospital, we started to fundraise, and the calendar was the first thing we did, and getting sponsors for that. We didn’t have a thousand calendars back then, You walk into Australia Post now, and there’s like how many calendars. So, we made some money each year from that.It took a year or two to get our first piece of equipment. The Local Health District (LHD) do their best to go dollar for dollar or the like. Then we started growing events, then started developing a form around that, but basically Annie Curtain, Austin Curtain’s wife, was absolutely amazing at the outset, she was bringing community support in.There was just a small little group of us. There was a fundraiser that had to be paid out of the funds we raised, which is still the case. There has never been that leg-up if you like. The LHD helps us in other ways like insurance, rental on our office and things like that so it’s a relationship.Rebekka Battista took up the fundraising role. Rebekka has always had a flair for that; she has always been that person with a big heart and a great way with people.That really started to give us some momentum in the community. I’m watching all this happen and thinking, why is anyone interested? I am interested because I want this piece of equipment, but you’re interested, why? It has almost grown around me. I am that, in case of emergencies, break glass person now.It’s grown up since then, with the events and people wanting to be on the board. People like Bronwyn Curtain, Annie’s daughter-in-law, has come on the board, Simon Stahl from Northern Meats, Mark Pearce, Suzette Trinity, Luke Houlihan, Damien Chappelle, Tanya Jones and Tanya Kirkland, Kevin Carter from the Base in finance, people with a diverse range of skills sit around and they all keep this thing happening. I am still amazed.I want to have enough money in the bank to get through COVID or enough to get us through the global financial crisis, so I am now just that guy.The ventilator finally came after two or three years.(Dr Chris Ingall with one of the first resuscitaire purchased in 2014)The people of the Northern Rivers can identify with the hospital and identify with Our Kids as something that if they put a dollar in there, then most of it, if not all of it, will get to buy that piece of equipment.Now, what we’re hoping is that children and grandchildren of people in the community who have received benefits from the equipment to keep them local, are saying Hang on, that was good, and now they’re starting to come in. It has a lovely natural build now. That only happens when you continue to be honest and be transparent.Charity is a business, and you have to be savvy to build relationships and sponsorships and talk to the community, none of which I had at all, but I watch the people around me say “say this,” so I say it, and it’s great, it works.We have reached over the $2 million mark, and everyone seems to be really happy to be part of it, so I’m really happy.This is an ongoing process because equipment always dies, equipment runs out of software, support, it fades out from being useful, plus equipment gets more and more sophisticated, so the piece you have now will be outdated in the years to come, it is a never-ending bucket.What is lovely now is the registrars come up here from Sydney, Newcastle or down from the Gold Coast, and they say “wow, we don’t have one of these”, but we do.I love going to the annual calendars launches, you see these little kids, who all have an issue that’s seen them come through the children’s ward, and they are so chuffed, they are like a celebrity.They say, "there’s my picture," and they love the photo shoots, and the family does too. It puts a positive spin on their difficulty, and I had never thought of that angle. Now, that is the greatest thing, the same as the ‘Day Out’ we have in Ballina. I never thought of that as being something high on the scale, but now it is the one I love the most because it's free, and you get all these mums pushing prams, coming in and seeing a show like Peppa Pig. It is a good two hours of entertainment with the kids beside themselves, enjoying it.I say to myself, I get it, I get it now, these are the people who keep us in business.(Dr Chris Ingall arm wrestling Commando at the annual Winters Ball event)What about retirement?I don’t know. I am trying to build succession with the younger paediatricians because I think it would be good to have a paediatrician or paediatricians taking that central role if there needs to be a piece of equipment explained.Recently, I went along to the charity golf day in Lismore and got up and explained what it is we are buying and what it does, and people are just so interested. Tradies and business people around town are hearing a story of a three-week-old baby who needed this to be put into their chest, their lung came back up, got them on the chopper, and they’re doing fine. That is what this piece of equipment does; this is where your money is going.Plus, what new equipment do we need or don’t need?Understanding the general community, the hospital community, all giving it continued momentum, I am very thankful for that.Then my role becomes less and less.Happy Retirement Dr Chris Ingall and thank you.

Alex Coronakes is the owner and manager of family fruit business 'Tropicana' on Keen Street. Last week, Alex announced that he would be closing the doors, or rather rolling down the door, on Tropicana after 40 years.Alex had a chat in the shop with Sara Browne in November 2021 about life in the last fruit shop on the block. This Sunday profile is to a Lismore legend who will now enjoy retirement.I speak a little bit of Greek. Mum and Dad never pushed it on us at home but we did go to Greek school for a while, I never wanted to learn. We went over here at Lismore High, there was a room over the other side that they pulled down that was used for Greek school. I never wanted to travel to Greece. I went to Richmond River Primary School in 1955 before Lismore Heights Primary was built. Then in 1957 I think it was, or 58, I went to Lismore Heights Primary and finished my primary school there after repeating a year. Then went back to Richmond River for high school. My brothers and sister all went to the same school. There was nine of us, five girls and four boys. We lived on High Street. My father built the house up there, and I bought it back about 30 years ago. So, I’m now living back at home. I’ve lived in Lismore all my life. I spent about 18 months living in Ballina in 1969 when we had a milk bar down there, with my brother. Unfortunately, I had trouble with my skin, and I couldn’t work in the milk bar anymore, so I went cane hauling for a season. It was pretty hard work. My father died in 1965, he was only 50. So, I finished my schooling and went to work. I used to work in a fruit shop down here on Keen Street, where the Camera House is. Family friends of ours owned it; I worked there for a while. I also spent some time working at the Worker’s Club. My first job was at Norco in the laboratory. I used to go around the factory collecting samples. Mum sold the house after Dad died, in about 1965. There were a few other owners. At the time, we were living up the road a bit further. My son went down there one day; the Catholic church owned it at the time and saw somebody there and said if ever the house comes up for sale, could you let my father know. So, they let us know when it was for sale, they gave us the first option, and we bought it back.Early 50s at Tropicana, staff with Alex's father Spiro I spent a little bit of time working at the House with No Steps (now Summerland House) in 1980. An Italian bloke had the shop out at MacLean’s Ridges, at the old school, I bought it in 1986. We spent three years there. At the time, the guy who’d bought Tropicana – he was an Italian bloke too – he couldn’t handle it, and he rang me up one day and said, do you want to buy your father’s shop back? I said yes. I’ve been here ever since. That was about 1989. I’ve been the only fruit shop on the block for a long time. When my Dad was here in the 50s and 60s there were about eight guys selling fruit and veg in town. There were other little supermarkets and about six or eight butcher shops in the CBD. I’m the only one left. It’s quite unique. There’s a lot of history in this shop. The walls don’t talk, unfortunately. If I go back to when Dad owned the shop, it was a milk bar, and he sold a bit of specialty fruit. Then, he sold it to Harry Crethar’s father. Harry Crethar’s son, Harry, married my sister, Maria. My brother used to work here, too. Anyway, Harry’s father sold it, there were a few other owners. After my father sold it, he put the shop next door where Thai Satay is, that was Tropicana. He sold it just before he died. Before all that, he also had a shop over the road where Fundies is. He had a continental club over there – two snooker tables and big benches for everybody to sit down. They used to play cards of a night over there. Card players would come from everywhere, and they’d sit there all night playing cards. One part of the club, on the other side, was the Lismore Fruit Exchange, which my father and uncle owned at the time. Behind the fruit exchange was a doctor’s surgery; old Doctor Kellas had his surgery there. When Dad moved across here to the Thai Satay space, he had an old Jewish bloke there who used to sell jewellery. He had glass cabinets full of jewellery. There was a very strong Greek community in Lismore when I was growing up. Every Sunday afternoon at the rowing club or the Bexhill Hall, there’d be a big booze up. We were taught to say poems. I wasn’t that interested. I had a girlfriend at school who was an Aussie; that’s all I was interested in, that and playing sport. I played baseball, and started softball in 1959. 1961 I was the first junior Huckleberry Medal winner for baseball in Lismore. I played A-grade baseball, A-grade tennis, A grade squash, and a little bit of soccer. I went to the 1994 Master’s Games in Brisbane, that was a pretty good turnout. I was never able to travel with sport. I went to Brisbane a few times as a kid but being a Greek boy, I wasn’t recognised too much. There was a bit of prejudice in those days from what I can remember. I got married in 1969. I met my wife working at Norco; she worked there too. I was only 20 when I got married. Been married 52 years now. That’s some achievement. I’ve worked most of my life together with my wife and the family. We don’t argue too much. We both have different ideas of things and different ways. I do the gardening, and she does the housework. That’s a good deal. We have two boys and two girls. Tony is the eldest, then Christina, Nicky and Elky. They’re in Lismore, and Chrissy lives in Lennox Head. We’ve got six grandkids, three boys, three girls. When I’m not working, I’m gardening. I work every Saturday for a doctor; she’s been a customer of mine for about 30 years. I did a home delivery for her one day, and I said you need a gardener badly up here. I came back to work, and an hour later, I got a phone call from her husband; he asked me if I was interested in doing their garden, and I said yep. Every Saturday I go there. I’ve built rock walls, landscaped all the yard, do all the hedges. Saturday afternoon and Sunday, I spend time in my own yard, doing the hedges and mowing the lawns. I grow a lot of vegetables in winter time for the shop. I don’t spray. I only do specialty lines like bunch vegetables, carrots, cabbage, beetroot. I’ve got my chooks, only half a dozen but they give enough eggs for us to eat. I like chooks. I had a pet rooster when I was a kid and every time my grandmother would come over, the rooster would chase her. I got home from school one day, and the rooster had no head left. Grandma didn’t have anything to say about that, but I was a bit upset because it was a very nice rooster. I thought it was a show-worthy rooster. Grandma chopped its head off. She had a funny way of killing chooks in those days. She’d put her feet on the two wings, get a knife and just chop the head off. She was my mother’s mum. She spent a fair bit of time living with us. She was Greek, too, born in Glenn Innes. Dad came from overseas in about the late 20s. They all came to Lismore. I don’t know what it was in those days, there were Greeks and Italians everywhere. Not many left now. There’s no real Greek community here anymore except my family, sisters and brothers. The Greek priest from the Gold Coast pays me a visit every 12 months and puts a blessing on the shop with the holy water. I wouldn’t say I’m a religious person, but there are things that I believe in. We used to go to Sunday school as kids. I was never a church goer but I have my beliefs. I don’t feel as though I need to publicise that. I never wanted to live anywhere else. I reckon if ever I went to Greece, they’d have to build a bridge. I don’t like planes. Unfortunately, when Dad died, there were quite a few properties left in Greece for our family. Of course, we knew nothing about it. Although I do remember my father saying after his last trip – I’m going to take you over there one day; there’s properties there, with all the donkeys. About 15 years ago, we got notification there were properties, but the relations had hold of them. There are still a few uncles over there. Many years ago, one of the uncles came over to visit but he’s passed on now. I’ve never had a heap of contact with the extended family over there; my sister has contact. I’m ready to go now, to retire. If the right person comes along, they can buy my shop. You’ve got to work hard. I haven’t had a holiday for 40 years. I’ve never had the flu. I’ve never had anything wrong except a hernia operation. I went into hospital one Friday morning, but I was back in the shop by three o’clock in the afternoon.  I did have Ross River Fever about four years ago. At the time, I never knew I had it; I just kept working, thinking I was getting old, and that’s why I felt tired. It was just after the flood. I came down with all these sore joints. I had a couple of sessions at the massage place, and she said, I’m sorry, I can’t do anything for you. So, I went to my doctor on Friday, and he said I think you’ve got polymyalgia rheumatica; I need you to go have a blood test tomorrow and here’s a prescription for prednisone.So, on the Saturday morning, I went for the sample, but I could hardly walk. I went home and took a dose of prednisone, and within four hours I was up dancing again. On Tuesday, I went back to the doctor to get the results, and he said, ‘You’ve got a real bad dose of Ross River, your readings are way up to blazers.’ I went back after a month, and there was no sign of it in my system. I didn’t take any time off; I had to keep working, sore as all hell. I have a good diet. I pickle up every day. I’ve got chilli, olive oil, herbs, sweet chilli and garlic in this jar. I have it on a focaccia roll toasted with cheese every day. Plus, I eat plenty of fruit and veg. I put that down to not being sick. I vaguely remember the '54 flood. The 1974 flood, I was working at the Workers Club and got stuck there for five days; we couldn’t get out quick enough. We had a good time. We ate all the food, and played cards. I was working at the Workers Club when we bought our first house and I wasn’t earning enough money. I worked the bar and poker machines. The manager was able to put me on shifts where I could get penalty rates, but it meant working nights and weekends. During the day, I got a job with a funeral director, and I also went out building rock walls. It was an interesting time. The first pick-up I had to do for the funeral director was a lady who died in Ewing Street. She happened to be a good customer down at the Club; she used to come in and play the poker machines all the time. I went there with another guy to the address and there was this lady, it was strange. For about three years, I had three jobs. Rock walls; I kept building forever. The last wall I did was 110 metres long by 600mm high; it’s in Woodland Avenue. We used to get the rocks from Teven Quarry or Lismore City Council. There’s a quarry down at Wyrallah, too. When I retire, I’ll stay at home. I’ll play tennis with some of my old schoolmates or do a bit of fishing. I used to do a bit of surfing. I might get the boogie board out and go surfing again. I’m a bit worried about the sharks. In the '60s I surfed a lot at Byron Bay, but I wouldn’t go back there now. I don’t have much time for Byron Bay. Lennox or Ballina is always good. We used to surf at Shaw’s Bay in those days, Missingham Bridge. Before they extended the walls, there used to be a lot of swell come through there, and it was always a good place to learn how to surf, pretty safe.Margaret and Alex I don’t stop talking. I like to stand on the footpath and have a chat. That’s part of me. I spend time with the handicapped kids from Red Inc; a lot of them come and say gday, and we have a bit of fun together. It’s interesting because you sometimes run into people you haven’t seen for a long time, especially school friends and old girlfriends. A lot of history. If I could remember everything, I’d be here for a couple of days talking. I have a pretty interesting life and I like what I’m doing. I’m 72 now, and there’s got to come a time when I say – that’s it. I would prefer family not to have the business because otherwise you’re still involved. If I make the break from here, I’d like to sell to someone who I know would look after it, and then I’ll disappear overnight.