1970-1980’s

When I left school (after dropping out from Journalism at RMIT, and a BA at Latrobe University) I built a mudbrick house with my boyfriend, Macgregor Knox (son of Alistair Knox, mudbrick house designer and builder) on a bush block in St Andrews, 20 minutes north of Warrandyte.

I learnt from the Knox family that anyone can build a house. It was an awesome thing to find out at 19 years old. Very empowering!

To make some money I started to make pots to sell at the St Andrews market. Shane Pugh (son of Clifton) had started the market for the local community.

My mother had a show scheduled at Potters Cottage in 1978 and she invited me to join her.

For the exhibition I gave myself the challenge of making work unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a huge risk. It could go really badly!

I combined rubber gorillas in ballet tutus, superman dolls, ceramic buildings, poetry stamped on the sides. Small worlds each with their own story.

The show was a great success.

After that I took every opportunity to play.

I was a “Flaming Star” – a duet with Toni Edwards. I was a yodelling, whip-cracking cowgirl.

We performed at the Flying Trapeze Cabaret Cafe in Brunswick Street Fitzroy, and then at the Last Laugh, Smith Street, Collingwood.

Even though I loved performing I didn’t like the lifestyle.