SAMANTHA Meadows was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and with her husband and son moved to Tangambalanga in December 2012.
What's your job?
I have been a beautician for 18 years and run a beauty salon (Samantics Beauty) and we have a dog kennel business (Kiewa Valley Kennels). I am a face painter as well.
What brought you to the roles.
I've always had an interest in the beautician side of things and is a role I naturally pursued.
Latest Stories
I fell into the dog kennel business taken on when we bought our property and saw the need in the area for the facility to continue. The previous owners had asked if I would keep the kennel running as it had a lot of sentimental relevance to them. We said we would give it a year and see how we go and 10 years on we are still going.
What do you love about your jobs?
I love talking to my customers and making them feel good with beautician services offered. It can be a way of boosting their confidence too.
With the kennel business I just love the dogs. We missed them during covid isolations. It was a sad time with no one able to travel and leave their dogs in our care. With face painting I love to delight kids with their chosen themes and see their happy faces.
What do you do in the community?
I volunteer making Boomerang Bags. These bags are designed to replace plastic ones to reduce plastic pollution. We use recycled material to make a beautiful and sturdy bag that can be reused hundreds of times. I started making the bags because I wanted to learn how to sew and I was fed up with unreliable plastic bags that are environmentally unfriendly.
Currently the Boomerang Bag group is helping other groups in the community to make toiletry bags to go to the people who need them who have been affected by floods. We are working with Beechworth Lions and other Boomerang Bag groups in the area to make about 800 of them that will be filled with essential toiletry items for people. We sent over 500 bags to Lismore last year and over 250 to Rochester a few weeks ago. We plan to make extra for future events so people who need them will get them quicker.
What's the most important current world issue for you?
The question of world issues is a big one as there are a few. In reality it's a very slippery slope. I try to do the right thing and be kind to those around me. I try to show compassion to others. I feel if everyone thought like that we would live in a better world. It is about education and a willingness to do better.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo, or was already here, who would that be and what would you show them?
I would love for my mum to come and visit from country South Australia. But she has Parkinson's disease and doesn't travel. She would love to visit the waterfalls and see some of the lovely parks and walking tracks.
What book are you reading?
I love reading but I really haven't much time. I get my fix on reading with Indigo Shire library's free app 'Borrow Box', where you can borrow audio or eBooks for free. I often have my earphones in while I am running around listening to a book or three. I have been listening to many Australian authors on the history of our area. I also love a good crime novel too.
