DARE magazine - Issue 21 (September-October 2023)

DARE is your bi-monthly reminder to embrace the world around you. Go beyond the page and discover a new you.

September-October 2023 / $ 9.9 5

The time of your life

ALLAN BORDER “I’m starting to think it’s time to do different things”

THE BIG ISSUE Cost of living stress hits home

SPEED DATING The 90s trend is back in vogue

PLUS Marta

Dusseldorp Adam Liaw Julia Zemiro

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WE LCOME

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While death is inevitable, how we remember and celebrate our lost loved ones is evolving.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Camille Howard

ART DIRECTOR Ivan Chow MANAGING EDITOR

Ingrid Laurence CONTENT COORDINATOR Anna Neville

W ith winter firmly in the rear-view, we are seeing in spring with another bumper edition of DARE magazine. In this issue, we put Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT in the spotlight (page 70), exploring the many practical ways over 50s can – and already do – use AI in everyday life. And as we report in our Exit Strategy story (page 88), the technology also has a role in how some people farewell their nearest and dearest. So while death is inevitable, as Benjamin Franklin famously observed, how we remember and celebrate our lost loved ones is evolv - ing. According to the new Australian Seniors Cost of Death Report 2023, most over 50s (93%) have noticed

more choice and customisation in modern funerals, with 70% also seeing a greater focus on celebrat - ing life, rather than mourning, and three-quarters (73%) acknowledging traditional elements are becoming less important. Traditional funerals still outnumber more modern approaches, but there are a number of emerging trends in recent ceremo - nies, including the effective use of technology, such as live streaming (60%), video tributes (30%), online memorials (23%) and digital guestbooks (14%). Death may be certain, but how we mark the occasion is up to you.

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES 02 8114 8900 Level 1, 83 Bowman Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009 daremagazine@mediumrarecontent.com ADVERTISING HEAD OF SALES Steve Koutsoukos 0406 557 817 steve.koutsoukos@mediumrarecontent.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Charisse Villamaria 0403 132 430 charisse.villamaria@mediumrarecontent.com MEDIUM RARE CONTENT AGENCY MANAGING DIRECTOR Nick Smith CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Fiorella Di Santo ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Heather Jarvis HEAD OF AUDIENCE INTELLIGENCE Catherine Ross HEAD OF CREATIVE PRODUCTION Chantelle Love FINANCE MANAGER Leslie To DARE magazine is published for Australian Seniors by Medium Rare Content Agency (ABN 83 169 879 921), Level 1, 83 Bowman Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009. ©2023. All rights reserved. Printed by IVE Group. Paper fibre is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material. Articles express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Australian Seniors or Medium Rare Content Agency. ISSN 2652-5593. For a copy of Medium Rare Content Agency’s privacy notice, go to mediumrarecontent.com Australian Seniors Insurance Agency (Australian Seniors) is a trading name of Greenstone Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN 53 128 692 884, AFSL 343079 (GFS), the promoter and distributer of Australian Seniors insurance products. The insurer for car, home, landlords and pet insurance products is The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd ABN 78 090 584 473, AFSL 241436, and for life and funeral insurance products is Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd ABN 37 062 395 484, AFSL 530811. Seniors Health Insurance is issued by nib Health Funds Limited ABN 83 000 124 381 (nib), a registered private health insurer. GFS is an authorised agent of nib and receives commission from nib. Seniors Pet Insurance is arranged and administered through PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183. The insurer for Seniors Travel Insurance is Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850, AFSL 234708 (Allianz). Seniors Travel Insurance is issued and managed by AWP Australia Pty Ltd ABN 52 097 227 177, AFSL 245631, trading as Allianz Global Assistance, acting as agent for Allianz. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. Sub-limits may apply. Consider the relevant PDS and TMD available at seniors.com.au

Brenard Grobler CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AUSTRALIAN SENIORS

Australian Seniors has helped hundreds of thousands of Australians protect the most important things in life – whether it’s their family’s future or their valuable assets. OUR AWARDS: Australian Seniors is a multi-award winning insurance brand, with several accolades for its outstanding products and service over the years, including the Reader’s Digest Gold Quality Service Award, the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Award in the Funeral Insurance category, ProductReview.com.au Insurance Annual Award, and the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award in 2023. OUR MAGAZINE: DARE magazine was created to provide policyholders and over 50s with stories that will inspire you to connect with the world around us.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Our feature on ‘Swedish death cleaning’ – having a clear-out now, rather than burdening family with all your clutter in later years – hit home with many. But as comments on the Australian Seniors Facebook page make clear, not everyone is convinced!

A s this latest issue goes to print, the Australian cricket team has just retained the Ashes, wrapping up the five-test series in England. The game made headlines throughout the contest – even non-cricket fans were drawn into the rivalry! It was perfect timing, then, to sit down with Australian cricket legend Allan Border, who won his first Ashes series as captain in 1989, and hear him reminisce about the game but, more importantly, share with us the new passions he’s discovering in life after cricket (page 20). We also had the incredible opportunity to chat with actress and humanitarian Marta Dusseldorp about how she manages to juggle her work, advocacy and family life (page 12); while comedian, actress and host extraordinaire Julia Zemiro opens up about what matters most to her (page 90). And make sure you check out our list of amazing tours and adventures waiting for you in your own backyard (page 42). Hopefully this issue brings inspiration and joy – and sparks your wanderlust. Let us know what you think at daremagazine@ mediumrarecontent.com

But it is so hard to do, it would be like saying goodbye to old friends.

I’m currently going through all my stuff and giving to op shops, my poor daughter-in-law doesn’t need to deal with my stuff as well as her mum’s when we go. I can’t do that to her.

I wish Mum would do this instead of collecting more stuff!

I’m happy for Mum to keep special things, but just wish she would get rid of the stuff that has no sentimental value, e.g. she really doesn’t need 25 empty yoghurt pots and 30 margarine containers!

You do get to a stage in life when you realise it’s better you get rid of stuff now. I’m 82 now, if the kids don’t want it, turf it – op shops love it.

FACEBOOK Australian Seniors

PHONE 1300 762 848 Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm

WEBSITE seniors.com.au

Camille Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 DARE

CONTENTS / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

Plan

Discover 08 A world of inspiration What’s new and trending? Mystery flights, luxury caravans, iconic Australian hats and historical fiction picks, all designed to inform and improve your life. Includes Marta Dusseldorp (below) on her family life and charity work

70 Special report Everything you need to know about AI and ChatGPT 76 Mortgage stress How to ease the pain of repaying your home loan 80 Job negotiations Securing the best deal for your next career move 82 Group chat etiquette What to say, when to post and what not to share 83 Ask the doctor Five essential things to know about prostate cancer 85 Home massagers The best devices for different types of treatments 88 Grief tech New ways to share your life story after you’ve gone 90 Julia Zemiro The award-winning TV star walks a new path

(70.)

Indulge

50 Adam Liaw The Cook Up star shares three new recipes 54 Sustainable homes Eco-friendly, energy-saving renovation ideas 60 Scalp care A beautiful head of hair starts at the roots

62 Spring fashion Party season has arrived – here’s what to wear 64 Use it or lose it Puzzles and brain-teasers (Solutions on page 84) 68 Entertain me! Our top picks for going out and staying at home

(12.)

Explore

20 Allan Border The former cricket star on his new passions

24 Rising homelessness What support is on offer for older Australians in crisis? 30 Stopping the silence Why it’s vital to address hearing loss early

34 Let’s make a date How to find romance beyond the apps

(90.)

38 Overweight pets Expert tips to keep your cat or dog fit and healthy 42 Top tours We suggest some great Australian guided holidays

(42.)

PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATION CONTRIBUTORS Cover photography: Foxtel. Getty Images. Are Media. Newspix. Alamy. Exisle Publishing. Sanguine Estate Winery. The Jacky Winter Group. The Illustration Room. Tourism Australia. StoryFile. TDKCreative.com.au

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MODERN RETRO AIR OF MYSTERY

Adventure-loving Australians once headed to the airport without knowing where they’d end up. DARE looks back at the beloved mystery flight, and discovers that the concept is still circling. Words CAMERON BAYLEY

I n the 1970s, Australians were enjoying dinners prepared in a crockpot, TV drama supplied by The Sullivans , and kooky day trips courtesy of mystery flights, which were taking off across the country’s domestic airlines. And while the flights promised patrons something fun and far-out, their catalyst was more practical. “We have to cast our mind back to a time when reservations systems were very rudimentary for airlines,”

explains Geoffrey Thomas, founder and editor of AirlineRatings.com and aviation historian and commentator. “So airlines would find themselves, a day before a flight, with half a dozen empty seats, and no way really of selling them. There weren’t the mechanisms they have today.” The solution was ridiculously simple. “Somebody came up with the idea: ‘What about if we just say to people to put your name down and we’ll throw you on a

flight from Sydney to Tamworth, or Perth to Paraburdoo, and back?’” Carriers began offering cut-price fares where you only found out your destination on the day, depending on which flights needed filling. It was win-win. Airlines topped up their cabins, and the curious public could hit the skies. “For a lot of people, they wanted to have a little adventure and, of course, flying in those days was quite expensive,” Geoffrey explains.

DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

“It was a way of giving them a chance to fly, and exposing them to the airline’s products, so it was almost a PR exercise as well, and the passengers would pay for it!” Of course, like every game of chance, the cards didn’t always play your way. The dream may have been to get up to the beaches of Queensland, or cross the country from coast to coast, but there was also a very real chance you could end up in, say, Canberra for lunch. Regardless, they were a hit. Mystery flights traversed the country for decades, until airlines began to put on the brakes in the 1990s, due to the arrival of sophisticated last-minute booking systems. (Qantas resurrected them briefly in 2021, when international borders were still closed due to the pandemic, to give lockdown-weary Aussies a chance to spread their wings.) Today the concept is back. However, now it is the element of surprise that’s driving the trend, with the focus on getaways rather than just the plane fare. And this time they do reveal where you’re going a little bit prior to departure, so you know what to pack. Agencies like Wonderlust Escapes and Cheeky Weekends will curate a surprise itinerary based on your budget and preferences, with experience company RedBalloon offering mystery weekend packages departing from the east coast. While these are not the cut-price excursions of yesteryear, they do show the lucky-dip approach to travel still appeals. Time to fasten your seatbelt.

EYE ON THE FUTURE LIVESTREAM SHOPPING Joining celebrities in real time in their living rooms is the entertaining extension of shopping online.

C atherine Zeta-Jones is sitting in her New York apartment, telling an online audience that she’s here because it’s “the quietest room in the house” and laughing that husband Michael Douglas, the Hollywood superstar, won’t be “walking in and out” as she talks. It’s a glimpse into her life, yes, but what she’s actually doing is selling make-up from her lifestyle brand Casa Zeta-Jones on Talkshoplive, an American livestream shopping network. As she guides viewers through the products they can comment, read up on them and even ask her to hold them closer to the camera. When they’re ready to buy they just click and pay. Elsewhere on the network, country star Trisha Yearwood is selling autographed copies of her cookbook while myriad other celebrities and influencers have spruiked products, too, from Oprah Winfrey to Matthew McConaughey. Welcome to the future of shopping, where platforms such as Amazon Live and NTWRK sell

everything from cosmetics to crypto with a click of a button. While it may sound just like a TV shopping channel, livestream is a step beyond that. It’s portable, entertaining and addictively interactive. As well as the US, livestream shopping is huge in China, where nearly half of its one billion internet users have tried it. While there’s no dedicated shopping site where you can buy products in Australia yet, the signs suggest it’s about to take off here, with several popular social media platforms and tech companies in the livestream testing phase. If you can’t wait to get started, Amazon Live ( amazon.com/live ) automatically directs Australian users to overseas livestreams spruiking products that can be shipped Down Under (albeit with somewhat exorbitant postage). There’s also nothing to stop you from viewing celebrity sales like Catherine’s (watch them live, or play the videos on the site later) and then ordering the products elsewhere. Stay tuned for more.

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PRACTICAL TRAVELLER HOLIDAYING IN STYLE It’s a caravan like you’ve never seen before, and it’s set to transform camping and the humble road trip into a luxury glamping experience. Words STEPHEN CORBY

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FIVE OF THE BEST PLACES TO TAKE YOUR CARAVAN

HUSKISSON BEACH, NSW Forget the crowds of Byron Bay, the NSW South Coast is arguably a better spot for a relaxed, less packed getaway. Holiday Haven Huskisson Beach is a great park to experience the stunning white, sandy beaches of Jervis Bay. ESPERANCE BAY, WA Australia’s expansive coastline has several fantastic spots to take your caravan, but few can match the beauty of Esperance Bay. The RAC Esperance Holiday Park is an ideal base for exploring beaches, national parks and the iconic Pink Lake. CRADLE MOUNTAIN, TAS If you’ve splashed out on a luxury caravan it makes sense to drive it to some spectacular locations and Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain certainly fits the bill. Try Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain, a stone’s throw to the famous landmark and countless breathtaking bushwalks. KAKADU, NT Looking to make the big outback trek? Aurora Kakadu Lodge’s caravan park, deep in the heart of the Kakadu National Park, is worth the long journey. From here you can explore the World Heritage-listed region without roughing it in the wilderness. BAROSSA VALLEY, SA South Australia’s wine region should be on every Australian’s must-visit list – even if you’re not a wine connoisseur. Just over an hour outside of Adelaide, the stunning Barossa Valley has many memorable places to eat and drink, and Discovery Parks in Tanunda makes a good base camp.

W elcome to the future of caravanning: the Romotow T8. Designed and built in New Zealand, the curvaceous T8 is the brainchild of Stuart Winterbourn and Matt Wilke, engineers and designers who typically work on homes but decided to turn their attention to a more mobile form of housing. “We’re designers; I’m a structural engineer and my business partner is a designer, and we just thought, how could we do this better?” Stuart explains. “In our experience, in camping you’re either inside without air-conditioning and you’re too hot, or you’re sitting outside on uneven ground.” Looking very much like a giant USB stick, the key to the Romotow design is that with the push of a button, the main living area is able to rotate 90 degrees to create a covered and even- floored deck area. This provides both an indoor and outdoor living space when in camp mode, and means, the designers say, that

you can get out of bed in the morning and go outside without getting your feet wet in the dew. You can also rotate the caravan to capture the best views. For the interior, the designers say they had a luxury apartment or yacht in mind. The swing-out van features a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and dining area, with options to customise depending on your preferences – there are multiple kitchen layouts, seating set-ups and sleeping arrangements. The timbered deck is available with seating and includes a fold- down table to add a barbeque for outdoor cooking. There are also canvas awning options to further extend the covered outdoor spaces. After more than 10 years of design and development, the T8 has now entered production in New Zealand, with a starting price of NZ$375,000 (A$340,000). It will also be available to Australians, Stuart says, with the added expense of shipping to this side of the Tasman. Find out more at romotow.com

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to create, produce and act in the show. I had to make sure I had enough for everyone who needed me, including family.” Marta lives in Hobart with her husband, fellow actor Ben Winspear and their teenage daughters, Grace and Maggie, bringing world-class productions to Tasmania through their screen and stage company, Archipelago Productions. Bay of Fires is Marta’s “love letter” to the west coast and the sense of community in remote, small towns. “I’ve had this massive love affair with the region,” says Marta. “Living in Tassie during the pandemic I learned that it’s all about community – it always was, and it always will be. I felt really enriched by that.” Best known for her roles in Jack Irish and A Place to Call Home , Marta has been involved in refugee causes for many years, and since 2012 has been a proud ambassador of the charity Australia for UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency’s national partner in Australia. Her role as special representative has taken her on volunteer missions abroad. “I went to Zaatari, on the Syria-Jordan border. It’s one of the biggest refugee camps, with 75,000 people then and sadly, even more now. Australia for UNHCR does such an incredible job in finding out what is needed, and they have a massive impact. “So, when people say to me, ‘What can I do?’ I say, ‘You donate to people that are making a difference.’ And UNHCR does that – they turn up and return people to their dignity. I have found it incredibly rewarding and an incredible privilege being involved.”

PAY IT FORWARD MARTA DUSSELDORP

The 50-year-old actor, producer and humanitarian on how she balances co-creating and starring in a new TV show with family life and her mission to raise awareness for refugees . Words PIP HARRY Main photograph YIANNI ASPRADAKIS M arta Dusseldorp had only one regret during the filming of

from hitmen in sky-high heels. “Running in high heels for that long was really hard,” Marta laughs. “I was like, oh my god, I can’t believe I didn’t take these things off!” She also had to draw on her tenacity. “Endurance was required

her new ABC series Bay of Fires on the rugged west coast of Tasmania – that she didn’t consider the footwear of her character Stella, a single mum who spends the first episode fleeing

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They’re quite good performers, I watched them, and they don’t pull focus. I’m very proud of them. Ben and I have our moments working together as a married couple , but we’ve always had art and story at the centre of our relationship. Over 20 years we’ve been together now, and we keep coming back to creating together – so that must be the cornerstone of our relationship, with our two beautiful daughters on the other side of the triangle. I was told all the time when I was younger that anything is possible. You just have to go out there and take it. I never believed it and now I do, as long as you’re doing it from an authentic place, you can make things out of nothing, and you can leave something behind that is worthwhile. Marta’s new TV show Bay of Fires is streaming on ABC iview now.

Most of them left in their pyjamas from Syria, thinking they could return in a matter of weeks, and they sit in front of you, 11 years later and their kids have grown up in these camps. You’re talking about whole generations who are losing education, opportunity and connection to their culture. UNHCR encouraged me to bring Ben along to the camps, because I would need someone to talk to. I also took my girls to Uganda, because the camp was very safe, and I showed them the children; how they survive and thrive. These kids have such joy in them despite their circumstances. I learnt early on how to involve my daughters in my work , because I had to be away so much, often 70 hours a week shooting. I would bring them along, but only if they were helpful. On Bay of Fires Maggie and Grace were extras.

Years ago, when I started on A Place to Call Home , Channel Seven were interested in pushing me out to the public arena but I found it a little unsatisfying to talk about what’s my favourite thing to bake or who’s my favourite designer? So I said, “Look, I’d much rather put my voice behind things that matter.” My brother Yoris died of leukaemia, so initially I worked Marta in her own words How the star involves her family in her work and devotes her time to causes that matter.

at the Cancer Council, before joining Australia for UNHCR.

There’s not a single moment you don’t have your heart in your mouth , trying not to cry in front of refugees, because who are you to cry? When their whole lives have been torn away in an instant.

“UNHCR turn up and return people to their dignity. I have found it incredibly rewarding being involved.”

Above left: Marta with a Syrian refugee family on a trip to Jordan with Australia for UNHCR. Above right: starring as Stella in her drama series Bay of Fires .

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THE ICON AKUBRA HATS

With a history spanning nearly a century and a half, the quintessentially Australian classic has long graced the heads of celebrities, dignitaries and army folk alike. Words ANNA NEVILLE

I ts wide-brimmed, felted rabbit-fur design is now synonymous with all things ‘country’, but Akubra started out as a ‘city hat’, at a time when everyone wore a hat each time they went outside, including women. Although Akubra became the offi - cial brand in 1912, its family-owned history dates back more than 145 years, when it was founded by Benja- min Dunkerley. Hat maker Stephen Keir (I) joined the business in 1904,

marrying Benjamin’s daughter Ada a year later. It’s been in the Keir family ever since, and now fourth-generation siblings Stacey, Nikki and Stephen (IV) are at the helm of the business run from Kempsey, NSW. There have been many highs over the years, but Stephen says it was pivotal when the company finally secured the tender to make the iconic slouch hats for the Australian mili- tary. “It was a huge moment for the

company,” he tells DARE. “Not only did it mean the national service men and women would be wearing the Akubra slouch hat, but it also meant a standard 25,000 hat order every year, which created a regular and reliable income for the business. It was a big win,” he says. The brand’s heyday came in the 1980s, with cinematic hits like The Man From Snowy River and Phar Lap featuring the hat and further

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THE BLUFFER’S GUIDE TO

Famous public golf courses

Left: Akubras are made in Kempsey, NSW. Right: the Army slouch hat. Bottom right (clockwise): famous fans Paul Hogan, King Charles, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Noteworthy fairways around the world where you can play alongside the pros.

FAST FACTS

40 million sales since inception

PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS On many golf fans’ bucket list, the Californian mainstay overlooking the ocean at Carmel Beach has played host to many prestigious tournaments in its 104-year history including, for the first time this year, the US Women’s Open.

propelling its icon status. But it was Paul Hogan’s character in the 1986 classic Crocodile Dundee , who sported an Akubra hat (and little else – who could forget that bath scene?), that captivated the American market and marked a turning point for the Austra- lian brand’s expansion. “I hadn’t seen Paul Hogan wear one of our hats prior to the movie,” says Stephen. “For whatever reason he was wearing our hat in the filming of the movie. It was just good old- fashioned luck.” Over the years, many celebrities have been drawn to (and boosted) the hat’s allure, with notable figures such as Hugh Jackman, the late Shane Warne, Nicole Kidman and even King Charles donning the iconic hats. Social media plays a significant role in the brand’s continued success, with Stephen attributing recent success to platforms like Instagram and Facebook. “It’s given us a chance to do things with a different genera - tion of people. Kids in their teens and early 20s are now wearing our hats. This digital age is quite incredible.” “The popularity of the hat is quite amazing, so much so that we are finding it difficult to keep up with production,” adds Nikki. “It’s Australia at its best, and the world now wants to be part of this iconic story.”

2 million hats made for the Australian Army 60% of sales are now rural and 40% are city

ST ANDREWS LINKS (OLD COURSE) The Scottish icon is

considered the ‘home of golf’, with a rich history dating back to the 1400s. The coastline course is also renowned for its challenging layout and famous landmarks, including the Road Hole, Swilcan Bridge and the notorious Hell Bunker. ROYAL COUNTY DOWN GOLF CLUB Nestled at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, with views out across the Irish Sea, the landmark 19th-century links course is consistently ranked among the best in the world, as well as the most scenic. CAPE WICKHAM GOLF LINKS With stunning views at every hole, you’ll be hard-pressed to hold focus at this coastal course on King Island, Tasmania, which opened in 2015 to global acclaim. But keep your wits about you – the Roaring Forties deliver 30km/h winds most days. CAPE KIDNAPPERS Designed by legendary golf architect Tom Doak and completed in 2004, the adventurous course is perched on white cliffs in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay. Expect deep ravines, clifftop bunkers and sheer drops (along with astonishing bay views).

10,000 special badged hats were sold during the 2000 Sydney Olympics 12-16 rabbit skins are used, on average, for each Akubra hat made

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E veryone loves historical fiction these days – think Downton Abbey , The Crown , Bridgerton , The Great . And when it’s done well, whether it’s a tall tale set in the past, or a story meticulously researched and retold to be as close to the truth of real-life events as possible, it can be absolutely captivating. Today, it’s a genre that’s enjoying a fresh resurgence in popularity, with readers relishing the way such books both entertain and educate. In Australia particularly, writers are now mining the rich veins of our own history to bring some of our amazing heroes, heroines and villains to light. At the same time, many people are also researching their own family trees with sites like Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast, and tracing their lives back in time. As a result, many are attempting, for the first time, to tell their stories as historical fiction, either to be published commercially or produced in small numbers for their own families and friends. It can be a challenge, but if you bear in mind a few helpful pointers, it’s really worth the effort. With my latest historical novel, That Bligh Girl – about Mary Bligh, the daughter of Governor William Bligh, infamous for the mutiny on the Bounty, and then as the victim of the 1808 Rum Rebellion – I first researched what her character would be like. From the events she lived through, that can be either obvious or nuanced. She, for instance, was the only person who tried to stop the 300 soldiers of the Rum Corps marching on Sydney’s

BOOKS REWRITING HISTORY Think you have what it takes to write your own piece of historical fiction? Author and journalist Sue Williams shares key tips on crafting captivating recreations. Words SUE WILLIAMS Photography LORRIE GRAHAM

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LIKE THAT

WEAR IT WITH... TRY THESE

Government House – armed only with her parasol. She also defended her father even though he was, at times, plainly indefensible. So similarly, get to know your central characters. Where were they born? Were they rich or poor? What exciting – or inciting – events were they involved in? What did they eat? The devil, as they say, is always in the detail. Also spend time delving into the period in which they lived, so you become familiar with what The best historical fiction transports you to a different time and place. life was like back then. Readers love a richly evocative sense of place in historical fiction so double (and triple) check that you’ve allowed no anachronisms to creep in and break the spell. A useful resource with your language is etymonline.com to make sure your words were in use at the time. Other good research sources are the family history sections of local libraries, the National Library of Australia’s online database

trove.nla.gov.au , which has newspapers, official documents, archives, the Australian Dictionary of Biography , and state libraries. But when you’re confident about your research, use that as a springboard into your imagination to bring your characters to life, with the kind of conversations they would have had, the fears, the doubts, and the heroism – or treachery. Show, don’t tell: demonstrate their personalities with their actions, rather than merely describing them. Fill in the gaps that history doesn’t tell us. Finally, try to look at your writing objectively, and leave out as much detail as you put in as you don’t want your reader to be overwhelmed. Instead, you want them to be engaged, excited and thrilled by the events you’re retelling, and to see the characters as real flesh-and- blood people with emotions they can empathise with, rather than as the remote, dry figures of history. The worst historical fiction is a forensic retelling of events that leave you feeling as if you’re back at school, studying for an exam. The best transports you to a different time and place, with a gripping and persuasive narrative that enthrals so much, we don’t realise we’re also being informed.

MARY ANN AND CAPTAIN PIPER by Jessica North Allen & Unwin, $34.99 A fascinating true tale about how the daughter of First Fleet convicts became the mistress of the grandest home in colonial Australia.

THE WRECK by Meg Keneally Echo, $29.99

A woman escaping arrest after a failed London rebellion survives a shipwreck and finds a new life in colonial Sydney, in a story inspired, in part, by Mary Reibey.

Sue Williams is the author of THAT BLIGH GIRL (Allen & Unwin, $32.99). Her previous historical fiction was Elizabeth & Elizabeth , about Elizabeth Macquarie and Elizabeth Macarthur.

THE SETTLEMENT by Jock Serong Text Publishing, $32.99

The shocking story of Aboriginal resistance to the colonists of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) and the price they ultimately paid.

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 DARE

D I SCOVER / A WORLD OF INSPIRATION

Left: Silva in the cockpit of a Boeing 737. Below: a few years after arriving in Australia, with her one-year-old daughter Tema and husband Ken.

Job offers in Australia followed with Virgin, and by the time her international airline career really took off in her 40s, she was already a grandmother. But age, she says, was never a barrier. “I felt fit, I felt good enough, and felt

deserving enough to wear the uniform with pride.” Ken sadly died in 2020, and with the borders closed by the pandemic, Silva was made redundant. She is still eligible to be a domestic

PEOPLE WE ADMIRE SILVA McLEOD This pioneering grandmother flew through the glass ceiling when she found her wings, and continues to make the most from life’s opportunities and challenges. Words INGRID LAURENCE

pilot, and is hoping to pass medical tests to allow her to fly. “My wings were clipped when Ken died. But three years down the track, I’m pretty sure Ken would love to see me get back in the skies, he knows how much joy that has brought me.” In the meantime, she has retrained as a real estate agent, is enjoying golf and her community in the Mornington Peninsula, and volunteers for Meals on Wheels. “I hope I’ll get my medical, but at the same time if I don’t, hey, the world is full of opportunities and excitement and challenges.”

A t the height of her flying career, when she was piloting B777s from Australia to America, Silva McLeod would create quite the commotion in the US arrivals hall. “The customs officers would call out from one desk to another: ‘Oh look, there’s a woman pilot!’” she laughs. Earlier, she’d also been a rare female pilot at the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a “tough

after meeting and marrying her Victorian husband Ken while he was working in Tonga. She settled into life as a mother to two young girls, but when Ken was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, their world changed. Recognising that life is short, he gave his wife a flying lesson as a birthday present, and supported her subsequent decision to train as a commercial pilot. She is the first Tongan woman to become an airline pilot. But as Silva recounts in her new memoir, Island Girl to Airline Pilot , her path to the skies was far from smooth. Despite success as a flying instructor and with the RFDS, she had to leave her family behind and move back to Tonga to secure her first job with an airline.

gig”, she tells us, which saw her flying challenging rescue missions to remote regions.

Even more remarkably, Silva, now in her early 60s, hails from a small village in Tonga. “While it had always been my fantasy to fly, I never in my wildest dreams thought that it was going to happen.” She arrived in Australia in 1981

ISLAND GIRL TO AIRLINE PILOT (Exisle Publishing, $34.99) is out now.

DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

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Big

Jill’s big heart!

Jill Coggan has a very personal connection to Barnardos that will live on into the future.

Her adoptive mother Margaret ran the post office in an outer suburb of London. She was well known for volunteering with Barnardos services during the war. Tragically, when Jill was just eleven years old, Margaret passed away but because her mother had saved diligently, Jill was able to attend boarding school. Jill is leaving a gift to Barnardos in her Will, so that another child has the opportunity “to be loved and accepted as part of a family”.

Every child needs a champion like you

A respected Australian children’s charity for over 130 years, we listen, we act, and we advocate for the safety of children at risk of abuse and neglect, providing family support programs and services that empower children to reach their full potential. Every year, big-hearted people like you choose to leave a gift in their Will to Barnardos Australia. Leaving a gift in your Will is an easy thing to do, and it will make an enormous impact on the lives of Australia’s most vulnerable children.

For more information, contact Kingsley Edwards, Barnardos Bequest Manager, by calling (02) 9218 2311, or email kedwards@barnardos.org.au

Scan our QR code to learn more about leaving a gift in your Will

barnardos.org.au

ABN 18 068 557 906 | A Company Limited by Guarantee | HO_PP_23_0032

EXPLORE / AGE OF REASON

The next innings

He led Australian cricket through one of its most challenging eras, racking up many accolades along the way and now at 68, Allan Border is enjoying the fruits of a very different labour. Words MONIQUE BUTTERWORTH

A LATE-BLOOMING APPRECIATION for red wine, the love of golf and the bond of a close mate, has seen cricket legend Allan Border turn his considerably talented left-hand to winemaking. The former Australian cricket captain and selector turned much-loved commen- tator has released a limited-edition shiraz dubbed Maiden Tonne in collaboration with Sanguine Estate Winery in Heathcote, Victoria. But it was Allan’s great mate, fellow cricket star Dean Jones, who sadly died of a stroke while commentating in India in 2020, who got the ball rolling on the venture. “Dean was the one who started to educate me on the finer points of wine when I was around 50,” he says. “I’m a late bloomer. It’s amazing how the maturing process hits every- one in different ways. “I was a real beer drinker and I used to look at my mates carrying on about this wine and that. They would come to my place with bottles of wine and I would just stash them under the stairs where it was about 30 degrees in the summer,” he smiles. “I’ve come full circle. I still like beer but I prefer a good red wine these days.” Allan was introduced to his first bottle of Sanguine shiraz at Dean’s home at Romsey in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. “The bottle came from

Dean’s good mate Tony Hunter, who established Sanguine Estate, alongside his wife Linda. Dean played golf with Tony at Heathcote and that’s where the connection starts,” explains Allan. “I visited Dean and played golf with Tony too. They both educated me as to the processes involved in making wine and I became a lot more interested rather than just drinking it.” Originally, Allan and Dean were set to have a wine-blending contest to see who could come up with the best red wine but sadly, with Dean’s pass- ing, the idea was shelved. That was until Tony’s daughter Jodi resurrected the idea. “Jodi got in touch to see if I was still keen to do something, so I thought, ‘Yeah, well, I’ll give it a go! I don’t know much about wine. Let’s start the process!’” says Allan. “It’s been fascinating to learn, from go to whoa, what it takes to get the wine in the bottle.” He’s had a hand in everything from picking grapes, bottling, corking, wax sealing and signing the limited-release bottles. And he has rows of vines named after him in the vineyard. “I even got down to my bare feet and had a go at grape crushing the old-fashioned way,” he says. “I’ve really enjoyed the process.” Allan says his friendship with Dean is captured in the bottle. “Dean was the one who really educated

DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

me on what to look for with wine, the different tannins, smells, tastes and different styles. He was so keen on it and the whole process. Dean’s influence is definitely there,” he says. Allan’s wife Jane also got involved. “Jane and I did a blind-tasting with wine- maker Mark Hunter, Tony’s son. We had four samples taken from four big vats of shiraz in different stages of fermentation and processing. We would go around and around blending different percentages of the different wines until we came up with the final one. “Mark would take us through what his preference was and we would go with what our tastebuds were telling us. Slowly but surely, we came up with the winner. Jane and I were closely aligned in our tasting.” Allan’s aptly named Maiden Tonne Shiraz refers to both the cricket great’s maiden century in 1979 against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (ton is the cricket term for 100 runs) and his first crack at winemaking, where he had a hand in turning a tonne or two of grapes into a fine drop. Only 2,000 bottles were originally released to be sold by a ballot (which was quickly oversubscribed), and there may be more blends in the future.

“I’ve had a great run as far as commentary and my life after cricket but I am starting to think it’s time to do different things.”

HITTING THEM FOR SIX

1955-1978 Allan grows up in Mosman, Sydney opposite an oval later renamed after him. Aged 16, he makes his grade cricket debut as a left-arm orthodox spin bowler, but his batting skills soon shine. He is selected for the Australian team in 1978, arriving at a tumultuous time when many top players are joining the breakaway World Series Cricket league.

1980 He weds his teenage sweetheart Jane Hiscox and moves to Queensland. A long-time world record holder of the most test matches played in a row (153), Allan goes on to juggle his cricket commitments with welcoming four children with his wife.

Celebrating with great friend Dean Jones (left) after captaining Australia to its first Cricket World Cup win in 1987.

DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

Allan, with his wife of 43 years Jane, by the vine row named after him at the Sanguine Estate in Victoria. The couple worked with the vineyard to produce a limited edition shiraz.

game, when Kerry Packer developed World Series Cricket and the game became a lot more professional,” says Allan. “The second revolution is in the form of Twenty20 cricket, it has really captured the imagination of everyone. “The professionalism and the fact players can play in all sorts of different fran - chises around the world playing Twenty20 cricket has changed the game. A different style of player is also developing. We’ve still got the main game. People still love test match cricket – all the days are sold out in the [2023] Ashes series in England, so that makes me feel good,” adds Allan. “There is room for it all to survive as long as people don’t get too greedy.” But when it comes to his personal highlights, the answer is simple. Family. “I married a pretty special person who has put up with me for 43 years, or what - ever it’s been,” he laughs. “Jane and I talk about it now and joke it’s like two or three life sentences! But we’ve survived really well and we’ve got four great kids. Family is definitely my proudest achievement.” Allan is also a proud grandfather of two little girls. “One is in Singapore with my oldest son and number two is living here with us at the moment. My daughter Tara and her partner are renovating their

house and Grandma Jane is very happy to have them all here,” says Allan. “Hopefully there will be many more grandkids.” Retiring from test cricket in 1994, Allan has had an incredible career in the commentary box and as a selector. But, he says, “I’m sort of in the process of sail - ing into the west. I’ve had a great run as far as commentary and my life after cricket with the different roles I’ve had involved in the game. It’s been great but I am starting to think it’s time to do differ - ent things that don’t involve cricket or anything structured. “I don’t think you should ever retire because then your brain goes soggy,” smiles Allan. “I probably can’t play golf every day – because I want to stay in love with the game – but Jane and I want to do some travel.” With a career that has taken him around the world to some amazing places, Allan admits he hasn’t had a “good enough look around Australia”. “I’ve been to all these wonderful places and never seen Uluru,” he says. “Jane and I might tow a little caravan or do a bit of glamping. “We’ve dipped our toes in the water as far as camping again. It’s a bit harder getting out of bed in the morning but it was good fun!” 

“We’ll come up with something a bit different each year I hope,” he smiles. “There won’t be a Maiden Tonne Two!” While happy to talk about his pride of winemaking, Allan – the man once described as the “most significant figure in Australian cricket since Donald Bradman” – is characteristically modest about his playing career, refusing to name his proud - est professional achievement. (We’ve put just a few of them together below.) “It’s a tough one. There’s half a dozen really good things I did individually and another half a dozen great things we did as a team,” he says with a grin. “Pick a year, I’ll come up with something for you.” On the topic of cricket, Allan says the shorter form of the sport (Twenty20 cricket) and the professionalism of the sport has completely changed the game since his time as captain in the 1980s. “I came into international cricket through what I’d call the first revolution of the

1984-1994 Allan is named Australian captain and keeps the position for a decade. In 1987 he becomes the world’s top scorer in test match cricket, captains Australia’s first Cricket World Cup win, and two years later presides over the first Ashes victory in England since 1975. He is made AM (1986), Australian of the Year (1989) and AO (1990), and plays his farewell test match in 1994.

1998-2005 Having ended his playing career with the Queensland side and following a stint as a coach, Allan is appointed a national selector. In 2000 the most prestigious prize in Australian men’s cricket, the Allan Border Medal, is named after him. He resigns as selector in 2005 to take up commentating roles.

2023 Allan branches out into a completely new direction – trying his hand at winemaking. He also reveals for the first time that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016. “I’m a pretty private person and

I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me,” he explains. “I get the

feeling I’m a hell of a lot better off than most.”

Allan shows off his catching skills in the commentary box in 2019, alongside Shane Warne.

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EXPLORE / THE BIG ISSUE

DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

No place to call home An “imperfect storm” of current events is pushing older Australians over the edge into homelessness. We reveal what new measures are available to help them, explore what still needs to be done, and share ideas that can help you, or a loved one, through the crisis. Words STEPHEN CORBY Illustration BEA CRESPO

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 DARE

O VER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, you wouldn’t be alone in noticing a rise in the number of people living on the streets in cities across the country. While most of us can’t imagine what it’s like to be facing that kind of situation (not to mention those people we don’t see in insecure housing), perhaps we comfort ourselves with the thought that at least our position in Australia isn’t as awful as it is in other countries. It will come as some shock, then, to learn that not only are we now one of the worst-performing countries in the devel- oped world when it comes to tackling homelessness – Finland, in particular, has almost wiped it out – even parts of North America are doing better than us, according to David Pearson, CEO of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness. “In terms of homelessness, the safety net in Australia is one of the weakest in the OECD now, and we’ve been trending backwards – while other countries are increasing the effectiveness of their safety nets, there are big holes in ours and the number of people out there who are home- less is still unacceptable,” he says. The good news, David says, is that the current Australian government “has done more, in a shorter period of time, to battle this crisis than any government in

living memory”. The bad news is it’s still not nearly enough. With the combined catastrophes of a global pandemic, a cost of living crisis, soaring inflation and hous - ing affordability struggles, between 2020 and 2022 Mission Australia saw a 50% increase in the number of people experi- encing homelessness, a 103% rise in the number of people sleeping rough, and a 40% increase in those living in short-term temporary accommodation.

One of the fastest-growing demo- graphics suffering the emotional, physical and financial crisis of homelessness is people over the age of 55. Almost one in seven of those who were homeless on Australia’s 2021 Census night were in that age group – more than 19,000 people. You won’t be seeing all of them out on the streets; in fact, rough sleepers only make up a small minority of the homeless population. Most are hidden from sight, sleeping in a relative’s borrowed garage, staying in temporary accommodation like boarding houses or trying to make do in a tent or caravan. OLDER AUSTRALIANS IN CRISIS Sharon Callister, CEO of Mission Austra- lia, explains that an alarming number of older people who have been living on the edge of poverty are being pushed over the homeless precipice by the imperfect storm of rising rents, a shortage of social hous- ing and huge jumps in the cost of living. “People who are reliant on the aged care pension and who are renting are facing a dire situation because of cost of living pressures and a situation where their rents are rising, or a landlord is sell- ing and they have to move and it’s just too hard, or too expensive, to find something suitable, so they’re being pushed over the brink into homelessness,” Sharon says.

“People who are reliant on the aged care pension and who are renting are facing a dire situation.” SHARON CALLISTER Mission Australia

WHAT’S CHANGED?

I t’s been three years since DARE last tackled the subject of homelessness, focusing on the heartbreaking stories of women in their 60s and 70s who had been homeless for several years. What has most obviously changed over those few years is that the problem has gotten worse, not only in terms of raw numbers – most shockingly the 103% increase in people sleeping

rough since 2020, plus a 40% jump in people living in short-term accommodation – but in demographics. While most of the people who seek help from Mission Australia’s homelessness services are still those who rely on income-support payments, which are increasingly insufficient to meet the costs of living, the charity’s CEO Sharon Callister says the biggest change has been

a whole new demographic of people needing help. “We’re seeing people turn up to our services that we’ve not really seen before; people who are working, either part time or in a job that pays minimum wage, and they simply can’t afford their rent and essentials like food and electricity. It’s an emerging group that’s an increasingly large part of a homelessness emergency,” she says.

“There’s also been an increase in the number of people experiencing more long-term forms of homelessness, we’re seeing a lot more people sleeping rough or in tents or in cars. “Previously it was more a case of people sleeping on friends’ sofas, so at least they were living in a house, but as time goes by more and more people are having this extreme kind of experience.”

DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023

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