If you are ever lucky enough to sit next to Nola, at our Tea & Talk’s, you are in for a real treat. She may seem quiet at first (as she is a really good listener), but the stories and life experiences she has had are truly something to be in awe of.

 

She is the first to voice what is on her mind, and to have a laugh. From smashing ageist stereotypes by jumping out of a plane for her 70th birthday. Nola has had a varied working life, including learning how to rear calves to sell them, labour intensive work in the wheat belt in WA, sorting grass with tweezers, and building fences and being a shearers cook – she has done a lot in her life so far.

 

You may have tasted her comforting “no fuss” cooking at one of our Cook & Talks. It must have been raising five children on the land, that lead her to mastering that comforting “home style” cooking, her pancakes to her pumpkin soup and her famous pasties, that seem to vanished as soon as they were served.

 

People don’t become good conversationists without living first. They normally have their fair share of triumphs and tribulations.

 

Nola has overcome some immense challenges in her life, maybe she would describe it as the “school of hard knocks”. One thing for sure is her resilience and strength are to be admired. She gets on with life with a fierce determination, calm disposition, caring nature and a wicked sense of humour.

 

Nola had to grow up fast. Being one of six children, living on the land, with a mother who “didn’t have any idea about farming”, Nola, was working the land from a young age.

 

“We were very industrious, from catching yabbies in the damn, to selling sheep’s wool, and at one stage we could earn money from the bark on Wattle trees. We used to strip it off the trees and sell it to people who made tanning products. We did whatever we could to make ends meet”.

Nola seems to have done it all. Speaking with others from a younger generation, at our Tea & Talk, they are in awe of Nola’s life experiences.

 

Did we mention she spent 20 years, breaking in horses, for children to ride?!

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She couldn’t find the right temperament in the horses she wanted to buy for her kids, so she trained her own. It turned into a career for Nola, with breaking in kids ponies her specialty. She had great success in taming these wild ponies over the years. Her kids later on then got into show jumping, flag racing, barrel racing, something so wholesome and magic at the same time, to grow up around horses.

 

Animals have always been a big part of her life. They must have had a six sense and picked up on her positive energy........ if you ever visit Nola, she will have a range of animals vying for her attention at any given time; from dogs, cats, birds. She even had a pet fox on the farm, as well as a rabbit and a kangaroo.

 

It seems as if there is nothing Nola can’t do, fix or know. She is one of the most humble people you will ever meet. She would literally give you the shirt off her back.

 

A stand out friendship has been between Hiba and Nola (and even more so with Nola’s partner Don). It began out of practical support, as Don gave Hiba driving lessons.

 

It quickly became less about the learning to drive aspect for Hiba and more about the advice, support and friendship.

 

“I felt like I could talk to him about my life, and he provided such valuable advice for me. I feel like he has taught me so much about resilience and how to just keep on going and getting on with life”.

 

Nola, and Don have become friends like family for Hiba, with Don being like a father figure to Hiba.

 

Nola connects with many people and often can strike up a conversation on nearly any topic, whether it is her experiences out on the land, how to get stubborn stains out of clothes, or a homestyle recipe for baked goods, Nola is always sharing her knowledge.

 

With her quick-witted sense of humour, and a cheeky glimmer in her eye, you can see why people have really enjoy the conversations and friendships that have been formed over the years.

 

Thank you for being you Nola and being part of our Uniity community. We all the richer for it!