Hi Lynda, you grew up in Castlemaine didn’t you? Can you tell us about your early years?
I was born at the Castlemaine Hospital in Halford Street. My family are from Yapeen, but I grew up in Castlemaine. I went to kinder at Etty Street and was at Winters Flat Primary in the 70s and 80s and went to Castlemaine Tech. My first job was at the Campbell Street Motor Lodge when I was 15 and then I started working at Hot and Crusty too. I started working in classys at the Castlemaine Mail when I was about 19 or 20 just casually- so I was working three jobs, but that’s just what we did back then. I got into uni but decided not to go – I wanted to get down to Melbourne and get into the hotel industry.
What hotels did you work in?
I started out at a hotel in Carlton (which was part of the Flag Choice Hotel Group) when I was 21 and was there for eight and a half years. I’ve always loved the industry and wanted to work my way up. Leaving there was a hard decision because they’d become like family, but I was poached by a building corporation to open the Panch Hospital site on Bell Street. I worked as the sales and marketing manager and I pretty much lived there 24/7 while turning it into an 86-room four-star hotel and 350+ student accommodation rooms.
It was eventually taken over by Rydges Hotels and I worked in the management team in Preston, Carlton, and North Melbourne.
You are a very family-orientated person; can you tell us a bit about them?
My husband Coryn and I were childhood sweethearts. We dated on and off since the age of 15 and finally got married when we were 31. After we had our first child, Caitlyn I really wanted to come back home so we moved in with mum and dad for 10 and half months. We started to look for a house to buy but couldn’t find anything in Castlemaine so we bought nearby. Three years later we had our son Will.
How did you end up working back at the Castlemaine Mail?
I worked as a relief hotel/motel manager in Bendigo for a while and then I got a phone call from the Castlemaine Mail manager who told me there was a position available and invited me to apply. I was successful and returned to the team and the rest is history.
Do you have any time for hobbies?
I follow the kids around for hockey. I love spending time with family and friends and I love travel. When I was 16 years old we travelled around the world for three months and in 1999 went to Israel, Turkey and Egypt and in 2005 we went to the UK and Ireland for our honeymoon. I enjoy long walks in the bush with my two Jack Russells Boizey and Vader.
What sort of music do you enjoy listening to?
I like Icehouse, Matchbox 20. 80s and 90s stuff mostly, but living with teenagers I like a lot of new stuff like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.
Who are you three dream dinner guests?
Ryan Gosling, my amazing mother in law who left us suddenly and my nana and pa to ask the things I wished I’d asked them.
What philosophies do you live life by?
Living every day to the fullest and it’s important to be nice. I believe in having balance- but I’m far from having balance.
What do you like about the place you call home?
I have so many beautiful memories in this town. Castlemaine is home to me. Growing up here in the 80s and 90s going to the Theatre Royal and walking home and having pizza at 3am at Capones. I have so many amazing friends from my childhood. We’ve been friends for over 40 years and they live all over Australia now but when we meet up, it’s like we have never been apart.