Indigo Interview: A love of being creative

Lynne Davies grew up in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. After more than 60 years her school friends are still a big part of her life. “Brisbane was where I called home for 25 years, raising a family before making a final move to Yackandandah in 2019,” she said. What did you do workwise? I trained as a kindergarten teacher and worked in Sydney for a few years before becoming a stay-at home mum. I started a small business designing and teaching my unusual cloth dolls. I loved working all over Australia, New Zealand and America. After my divorce I decided I needed to get a real job so began a career as a sales representative for a large haberdashery company where I could happily play with fabric, paint and thread. What brought you to your role/career? I have always enjoyed drawing and making “stuff”. I did a three-year Advanced Diploma in Ceramics when I lived on my own because I needed to do something just for myself. Here I was encouraged to draw and sculpt, and I discovered my passion for portraiture. What did you love about your work? As a sales rep, I enjoyed meeting owners of art shops and quilt stores where I demonstrated our products. Teaching students gave me the greatest joy, watching them achieve something they thought was impossible. What do you do in the community? On moving to Yackandandah, I wondered why there was a Men’s Shed but not a Women’s Shed. I guess I instigated the formation of the Women’s Shed and watched the membership grow to 75 in only a few years. I also discovered the joy of becoming a member of Indigo U3A. Classes covering a wide variety of interests are offered, and one could fill the whole week interacting with like-minded people. All tutors are volunteers, and I now regularly teach drawing classes in Beechworth and Yack. Giving back to the community, where you can, is important. Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing? Health care is top of my list. As an older person living in regional Victoria, we should all have access to the same level of care as those in the city. I believe bulk billing for older Australians should be mandatory in our medical centres. What would you do to solve change, improve the situation? Our local member should be encouraging the government to offer cash incentives to medical professionals to work in the regions. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? Big corporations capitalising on the struggling majority. If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them and why? That person would be my mother. She passed away before I really found who I was. I would be thrilled to show her the amazing galleries, studios and introduce her to the artists who live and work here. I know she would be proud of my achievements. What book are you reading? I have just finished reading the autobiography ‘We Are the Stars: A misfit's story of love, connection and the courage to roar’ by Australian rewilding facilitator, adventurer, writer and speaker, Gina Chick. I love biographies.

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