My Birth Year

1962 - Elizabeth Blakis

I grew up in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne which was semi rural with orchards or the remnants of orchards around the area. I studied at Tafe in Clothing Studies and worked in the clothing industry in the early years, then somehow ended up in banking and admin. I now have a creative micro business/side hustle called Merton Made which my main product is aprons. I’ve married for the second time and we have 6 children between us. So far we have ten grandchildren, which are one of the greatest blessings you can have.

1970 - Liz Falconer

Born in 1970, a teen of the 80s. Duran Duran, synth pop, the pastel revolution, the America’s Cup win, Jonathan Sceats sunglasses and wagging school by imbibing cod liver oil. Lived in Perth WA during the 80s and survived the 90s with brows intact. Still wistful of simple, summer days in beer gardens thanks to the worst fake paper ID. My favourite day of the year these days is Eurovision Sunday with a self-imposed all media and device blackout so I don’t know the winner before the annual grand final. I look forward to sharing a reminisce skipping down memory lane while reflecting on more recent times; where was risotto when I was growing up, when did Frank Sinatra become a much-loved crooner in my eyes and, most importantly, how did Simon Le Bon ever get those leather trousers off after prancing around a stage sweating for 2 hours?

1957 - Rob Cameron

My name is Robert Cameron and my life has certainly been an interesting journey so far. Born into a farming family at Wurdi Boluc, which is more of an area than a town, famous for the large Barwon Water Reservoir that supplies the South Western suburbs of Geelong. It was a wonderful childhood with so much fun and activity on limited resources, but a 365 acre playground. I was one of 8 children and in the final year of primary school at the now defunct Wurdi Boluc Primary School, I was one of only eleven students with my two younger sisters. Secondary education was at Geelong Technical School and straight home into agricultural pursuits and then learned to shear sheep. At the age of 30 I was introduced into amateur theatre and at 33 I was given an opportunity to work in sales. Both of these changes had a significant impact on my life, providing confidence and opening doors that I had never thought possible.

1964 - Raylene Slade

Birth Location:  Young, New South Wales Current Location:  Hillston, New South Wales About Our Guest Over the past 40yrs I have worked in many different industries including aged care, WH&S, education and real estate. I have worked in outback mines, outback Local Government from far western Qld to outback NSW. Marrying an Indigenous man, I have researched Indigenous genealogy and local history. To many, I have lived a life of little financial reward but to me it is a life rich in human connections and discovering our rich history.

1991 - Mitchell Dye

Birth Location:  Geelong, Victoria Current Location:  Geelong, Victoria About Our Guest Mitchell was born in 1991, and grew up in Geelong, Victoria. He lived overseas for nearly four years and returned at 11 years old. He hosted a current affairs program for over seven years on Geelong radio and now works in marketing and communications. He has a keen interest in travel and photography.