Natasha Stott Despoja opens up her diary
We celebrate my husband Ian’s 45th birthday at our beach kiosk, Joe’s. Our Adelaide western suburbs community rocks up (long after the kiosk has closed) with BYO bottle and plate. We are such a close neighbourhood that we holiday together, babysit each others’ children and mow each others’ lawns. We meet for coffee at Joe’s every weekend. Friends from out of state think it is a Home and Away set, such is the camaraderie and familiarity. Joe knows everyone’s name. We are a mix of different professions, incomes, family status: cops; a judge, council workers; retirees, former and current MPs, a sign-writer, a yoga teacher, home-makers, businesspeople. And we are from everywhere; so much so that our annual ‘Australia versus the world’ beach cricket match sees those of us born here wonderfully outnumbered.
Ian’s friends from all around drop in: former Senator Nick Bolkus and treasurer Kevin Foley discuss the State Budget brought down by Kevin during the week.
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