Today I'm recording on Gadigle Country. As part of the urination, I'd like to pay my respects to their elders, both past and present, and extend that respect all First Nations people listening today. I know you've gotta dig this.
It's like I've.
Been given like an extra sprinkle of something.
You've got layers, Yeah, I've got layers.
I was just.
Thinking, I'm like, we're just such beautiful storytellers.
You're making a lot of sense to that girl. No, I'm done to honest to go. Hey everyone, it's just Maddie today. And as you know, Mother's Day was on the weekend, so today I thought i'd do a very special episode with somebody who has been the mother figure in my life since I was very young.
She isn't my.
Biological mother, but she has done everything and more that a mother could. And her name is Pips. So we'll be getting into that conversation in a little bit, but before I do, I just wanted to tell you a little bit about my early life before I met Pip. There's been a bit of a journey, you know. I was born in the western suburbs of Sydney in a small, little town called Claymore. It's a part of a much bigger town called Campbelltown. So if you know where Campbelltown is,
it's the poorest suburb in Campbelltown. As told by four Corners, I grew up in Claymore with my two brothers, Nathan and Aaron, my sister Kayla, and my mum Joanne, and we grew up in many different parts of this one suburb, continuously moving from house to house after eviction and eviction and eviction. I grew up with a mum who was
mostly single during my childhood. My dad left when I was very young, before I even started school, before I even attended my first kindergarten class, my dad wasn't in the picture. Unfortunately, at that age, I don't have too many memories of my dad. I have a photo that is a memory of him, and he had long dreadlocks and is a very different image to how I now see my dad. But that photo meant a lot to me at the time because I would talk to the
photo as if he were still around. But unfortunately, when I was very little, around the age of seven, I was told that my dad had passed away. And this was told to me by my mum, who at the time was struggling with her own issues, which included mental health issues, alcoholism, and drug addiction. My brothers and I spent a lot of our childhood hopping from home to home, and when we weren't in our own home, we were
in women's refuges. And if you don't know what a women's refuge is, it is a place that women can go when they don't have a home for them and their children. It's normally filled with many different families that share this same experience. I have so many memories, including nine to eleven that very particular day, which is my mum's birthday. That memory for me was watching the screens from a woman's refuge. At that age, we were surrounded
by a lot of alcohol, drug use, and trauma. I think when I was younger, there were so many moments in my life where I could see other moms in the community, but also my Auntie be nurturing and caring and loving towards their children in a way that made me feel like I was missing out on something. It made me feel like my mum wasn't able to give
me what I needed. As I've gotten older, there's definitely become an understanding around that, and there's an empathetic nature to how I have a relationship with my mum now, because when you're a kid, you don't realize that adults
aren't the superheroes you want them to be. They're not bulletproof, they're you know, human beings just like you, and one day you will realize that what they've gone through in their life impacts the way that they com parent and the way that they can be your mum or your dad. And unfortunately, for what my mum had been through, she
wasn't able to be the mum that I needed. So after we moved from house to house, from women's refuge to women's refuge, my mom's mental health declined massively and unfortunately we were taken from my mum and put into the care system. So this included not just myself but my brothers, Nathan and Aaron, and at first we were taken and put into one home where we all lived together, and unfortunately that became too much of a burden for the care who was looking after us at the time,
so we were split up. We were put into separate homes for the remainder of our time.
In care.
But during our time in care, there was a miracle that happened, and until this day, I still see it as almost a dream like moment. It was the moment that we were told as young kids that our dad was alive. We were missing our mum throughout our time in care and we didn't think too much about our dad because we thought there was no way that we would ever see him again because we were told that
he had passed away. Little did we know this was the man who was going to come and save the day like a superhero in a kid's book or film.
He did.
He worked really hard for many years to get us out of the care system. Once we had moved with my dad, it was like all our dreams had come true. This man who was no longer alive came back from the dead and was able to look after his kids. But once we had moved back to Tamworth and on Country, we still had that missing part of ourselves, which was.
The love of a mother.
But luckily, there was somebody who came into our lives not too many years after this moment who filled that gap so amazingly, and her name is Pip. She came into our lives when I was at the end of primary school and she has been in my life ever since. She has filled that gap of a mother. She has given me the love and care and nurture of a mother, and she has been somebody who has been my stability since the day that I met her. She's had the
most profound impact on my life. And I don't think that I would be anywhere close to where I am at in my life right now if she didn't walk into my life. And today I feel so excited because I get to share with you our story of how we met, our journey and what it's taken to get me through my life to this point, and how extremely grateful I am for having this person in my life. And she is here today. So please welcome the incredible PIP.
Thanks Maddie. Glad to be here, Happy to be here.
Yeah, I'm so excited to be able to have you on the podcast. Obviously, you came into my life now twenty years ago, and that seems like a lifetime. You know, it's for somebody, but it seems like such a long time ago, and I can't I don't have too many memories of my life without you in it. Now that I'm you know, thirty years old.
How did we get here?
How did we get here? It has been a journey.
I wanted to have you on the podcast because this is a Mother's Day episode and you've obviously come into my life at a very young age, and you've been the mother figure since you know, I was around ten years old. Wow, which is, you know, a long time ago. And I know that it didn't start off with you coming in as the mother figure, and it wasn't something that you know, any of us imagined this relationship would
be like. But I think this is a conversation to have on the podcast because I think there are many kids out there that maybe are in the same circumstances or have disconnection with their biological parents, and somebody else has come into their life, filled that gap and supported them through their life and got them to a part a part of their journey that you know, is normally what a parent would do, or a mum would do, or a dad would do. But sometimes they're not biological
to us. Sometimes they're our foster cares. Sometimes they are people who just genuinely care about us. Sometimes it's our auntie's uncle's grandparents. So the word mother, I think has many different m you know it can it can, it can have many different people take on that role. It doesn't have to be your biological mum. But I wanted to talk to you about, you know, our journey, our relationship. And I want to go back to the start because
I met you through Sunday School. You did and when we were younger, what was your initial memory of me?
Actually, I want to know that question. When did you what's your first memory of me?
I remember you at Sunday School being very curious, very inquisitive, wanting to know, always asking questions, constantly asking questions and wanting to know more, and then just wanting to expand your horizon basically away from where you were.
And so it was just who.
You were, an inquisitive, curious child who really stayed with me all the time. After we'd finished Sunday School, you'd be there waiting for the bus and you'd be the last one on because you'd be asking questions.
So where do you come from? Where do you live? Can I come up to your place?
So many questions and I'd say no, that would be abduction because I don't know your mom and dad. And then I remember the first day you said, but I can get permission from my dad, and I said, well, I would have to meet your dad.
I'd have to go to your house and Dad might not be happy about that totally. So you went home and asked your.
Dad if I could come round to your house, which I did about two weeks And I.
Remember that really clearly.
Yeah, and your dad and I met and we really got on well from day one and we still do.
Yeah.
He said something to me just on the weekend as I was home, and he said, he is so grateful for what you've been able to do for his kids, because it's not just me, it's my brothers, but also you know, the wider family. The amount of impact and positive input that you've had in our lives is just astronomical. I don't think we'd be anywhere near where we are if it wasn't for you.
And that was a positive effect.
Yeah.
No, Dad really recognizes the amount of love and nurturing care that you've put in over the years. And he said that to me on the weekend, and I thought, I know that you know that because there's been many times where he's mentioned it to you and said to you that he's so grateful and so happy that you've
come into our lives. But I also think that he to say that to us is also super important because I believe that sometimes over the years you've actually taken on the role of both parents for me, you know, as much as because we've also been in the same city. You know, you've you took me through boarding school and that whole process, and with Dad, you know, supporting on the wings and always giving the approval and always and your.
Dad always did give approval. He was so good.
And that that's why I respect your dad so much, because he recognized the fact that he couldn't be looking out, that he could not look after you, and he was the one who said, please look after my boys, and I trust you and I know you'll never harm them. Yeah, And to say that to somebody who really had only met probably for a year, and that you could have decision rights and make decisions on their behalf, on behalf of him was of that was a huge thing.
For your dad to do.
Totally recognizing how much gratitude Dad has for the impact you've had on our lives is something very special to me because we know my dad's heart and we know he's a good man, and he's somebody who would want to do as much as he can for his kids, and unfortunately, for many different reasons, he hasn't been able to contribute in a way that you've been able to.
And I think that you know, recognizing that Dad is grateful and so thankful that you've been able to, you know, really take on that role is amazing.
It did.
When I wanted to ask when you were working in Sunday School and Children's Church, did did you because you started off as a preschool director? Yes, I did, And so did your passion always revolve around children?
Yes?
Over the years I developed more and more passion towards children. And because I had experienced so many children and their backgrounds and their parents and all the traumas and all the things that happened to kids and parents, I just developed a real interest in helping. So that's why I went to Sunday School in the area that you were living and not my own area, because there was a call out to people anyone in Townworth to go if
they could to help at the Sunday School there. Somebody bought a bus and they were picking kids up from all around cold Ale and providing that as a free service, and a lot of people were doing some good things there, and I thought.
Yeah, this would be a really good thing to do.
And then the more I got to know you and your family and your siblings, and your dad was saying, take the boys, do whatever, take them to the farm, give them the experiences.
That's how our relationship developed.
I always talked about what we were I was going to do, and I would always get his permission, but he didn't ever say no. Yeah, and I really respect your dad for that because he wanted the best for you even though he could not give you.
The best at that time. Yeah, So he was amazing.
I mean it's I love dad for that. I love that dad has an openness and are willing to not you know, he doesn't have any ego, which I think is amazing because some parents might feel like, oh well, if I can't do it, nobody else should.
Absolutely, but he.
Never had that no, you know, he never had.
That viewpoint, which which I love. But you know, I think so our for the people who are listening. Pip and Ized relationships started when I was around ten years old, and she also was taking my older brother to youth group on a Friday afternoon with a number of other kids in the community, and it was a way to keep the kids, you know, occupied, but also connect than with church and it was such a fun time for
us as kids, you know. I remember I was too young at one point and I was nagging every time you would come and pick up Nathan. I would be at the front door and I would say, Hey, when can I come? When can I come? And you had to be in high school. And so the moment I got into high school, I was able to take part in, you know, the youth group on a Friday, and then we would go to the Saint Peter's on a Sunday night.
And those two moments in the week are such highlights for me growing up because it took us outside of our own community in terms of the experience, you know, having a different experience outside of our own community, but
also allowed us to connect, you know, with God. And I think that that was such such a a refreshing thing for us as kids, because I know my dad's connection with God, you know, he told me about when he was growing up in and the connection that he had with Sunday school and great memories that he had through his mom, through his mum, that's right through my nan Irene. So he has such great memories of going to Sunday School and always feeling you know, connected to God.
And I think that's something that you brought into our lives that I don't think many people would.
Know about me. No, they probably do know they don't a man of faith.
Yeah, So it's it's it's.
Something that you know, I've had you know, ups and downs with in terms of that relationship with God over the years. And I think that there's been moments where I felt really strongly connected to my faith, and there's been moments where I felt like I was maybe lost and had other priorities.
So which you did?
Which I did?
Yes, basically all of my twenties, you know, I was they go where they're about to leave, aren't they? Yeah, I'm about sent thirty. I wanted to talk about some of the major milestones that we've achieved together in our relationship, and one of them was going off to boarding school. And this was such a big moment in my life.
It changed my life. It was, you know, a tough journey for both me and I would say, you know, it was something that I was the first ever Indigenous kid to attend this boarding school, so the Shaw School, And.
This was in two thousand and nine, and.
I want to tell the listeners or tell our audience how that moment came about. And it was a moment that we went and visited the boarding school's exposition in Tentworth. And do you want to tell us about that day?
Okay, Well, there was a boarding school expo in Tamworth. All the private schools came from Sydney and Brisbane and Orange and different rural areas too, and I decided I would go down there because I really felt that I should do that.
And I just chatted to some of the.
Schools down there and I inquired about whether there were any scholarships for Indigenous children. And I spoke to Shaw School and they and I said, I have a child. He's not mine, I have no money, and he's black, and I would like to.
Give him an opportunity to go to a boarding School's.
Right, And I had our dad.
We'd consulted and Dad said yes, he thought it was a good idea. So anyway, they said no, they didn't have any and then I walked away. And then as I walked away. The head of boarding was one of the teachers there, and he came back and he said, look, we have talked about this at school, so I'll go back and I'll talk to the principal. And then we didn't hear for a couple of months, so we thought that was not going to happen. And then I had a call and they said, bring him for an interview.
Yeah, And we went down in our Sunday best Yes, we're dad, we' dad, and I did a bit of a speech, you know, in front of who was it was it the board principal and a few hours board members, and they got to know me. I remember where it was. It was above the dining hall in the in the boarding area, and I remember that moment. It was such a turning point in my life, you know. And I was constantly looking for an out. And what I mean by an out is broader horizons.
And a better situation, and a better situation.
You're right. I was constantly battling the path to go down, what path I should go down, because I was wanting to do good. I always wanted to better my circumstances but also change my life. Break cycles that I had seen in my world. But I was also a teenager, and there was a lot of you know, opportunity to go down.
The wrong path, a lot of influence, a lot of influence.
And I knew that if I was to stay in the community that I was growing up in, that maybe I wouldn't be able to achieve what I've achieved at this point, and maybe I would have gone down the road that we see so many young people go down, you know, the tough road, the challenges that are faced by many young people in rural and remote communities, especially First Nations mob And I didn't want that for myself.
You didn't.
You had a firm grip on that idea, and you stuck to that through thick and thin, the bad times and good times.
You kept that dream alive.
I did.
And even when we were told that my grades needed to improve, I remember, yes, you know, we had sent at my report cards and they said, well, you know, the grades aren't as great as they would like. And I remember going.
I've forgotten that bit.
There I did, and I went and improved all my grades. You know, I won all the awards at the end of the year at Peel High and I won the Student of the Year award I won. There were a few awards that I won at that assembly, and it was all because I went from basically getting d's and e's to I went and got a's and b's. And it was because I applied myself and I saw that I had a goal on the horizon. I was working
towards something. And I think I've taken that way of approaching life and I've refound it recently where I've been able to implement goals and see something that I'm working towards and I know that that worked for me. Then you know it did, And I was able to get a scholarship and moved to Sydney and attend Shore for four years. And it wasn't easy. You know, I was the guinea pig.
Absolutely, It was definitely the guinea pig. What the school was also the guinea pig totally. What were some of your memories of me in boarding school? What was challenging for you during that time.
I think I knew more more than probably you knew about what you were getting up to at boarding school. That was a challenging because it was so difficult because I didn't want to control you I didn't want to stop you from being your indigenous person and your white person the blend. And I didn't want And I thought, oh, if he's going out of school, and he shouldn't, he's probably just going walk about.
You knows how to look after him. He'll go back. And I used to have justify all.
These things in my head to enable me to cope with all the different stories that I was hearing. And so that was interesting and just I would look at him coming out of the boarding school and I think, oh, he's.
So different totally.
I was not like anyone else in that school. I remember always feeling different. I felt like I had to make up stories about my family and what my dad did, and what's right?
You pretended your dad was somebody totally different.
I pretended that he was a detective, and I said I couldn't talk about his work. You know what a crazy little story that, you know, But this is what happens when teenagers feel out of places. They try to do anything they can to be accepted. And I remember that everyone else they called themselves the one percenters. You know, some of these boys, but their parents were lawyers, doctors, QCs.
Very wealthy, very well, everything had.
Everything multimillion dollar farm holders, so farmers and the you know, the people that I was surrounded by were completely different to the people who were in my lounger in my home when I went home in the school holidays. So I was living a double life.
Absolutely was.
But you know, I didn't know a lot of that, probably thankfully, yes, And I probably didn't realize how traumatic that was for Maddie because he's such a people person and able to present so well.
Yeah, a bit of a people pleaser as well, and people please.
Yeah, you were just trying to fit in, as every teenager is. So we could tell you a hundred stories, but we won't tell them today.
But I remember some great moments during that time, and that was you know, us as a team, really, you know, working with the school to break down barriers. Absolutely, and now there are four scholarships a year that get to go to this school. I feel like it should be called the Philip A. Powell Scholarship because you know, you were so pivotal in making this happen for me, and I also believed that we create a change in the art space.
Oh totally.
I think that was a major breakthrough for sure, well for you and for other boys hopefully, because going outside of school, to go in musicals and plays with Queenwood in particular, that had never been allowed before allowed. And then the principal, doctor Wright, he was great, he was great, and he and I said, look, additionally, Aboriginals dance, they sing, they communicate in all these different ways. Not they didn't write,
They had all sorts of other languages. And he took that on board and he agreed that Matt could go and be involved in the artistic, you know, areas of life in other places outside the school. And after that year other boys were also allowed to do it, white boys and the black.
Boys, both all of us, because it was it was something that we pushed for and had changed in the school.
And it was.
This change is what created my dream, you know, to be an actor, and it went and to be in this industry. So now I'm living my dream. I get to do exactly what I want to be doing when I wake up, I get to go to work and enjoy every moment of it. And that's because the seeds were planted during that time at school, you know, the
creative arts. So I'm so grateful for that and I'm really thankful for all the effort you put in, especially you know, whether it was financial, emotional, it were there was there's so much that you've done during that time, those pivotal years of growing up that I look back now and that I'm in a place, a place where i can be reflective and I look back on those
which is great. Yeah, and I'm more clear about how much that you put in, the effort you put in, you know, I'm very grateful for everything you did during that time and beyond school. You know, you were there on the weekends to take me to sport, you would pick me up and take me to rehearsals. Everything that could a kid could have in a parent or a mum you gave me.
And that's really.
Really something that I will forever be grateful for, and especially during those those years, because there's no way I would have been able to achieve anything that I've achieved at this point up until this point if I didn't have those years with you. So I'm really really grateful for that.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
But you know, beyond school, we've continued to grow our relationship. You helped put me through a UNI as you know parents do for their kids.
It's only for one year, which was great.
Which was great.
You know, I went over to Whopper and left everything I knew behind on the East Coast and when and you know, random, I would say, I ran a mark on the West Coast. I don't know how much I learned, but it was a year for me to go and explore, you know, And I think that there's many pros and cons to that year away. But and then I came back to Sydney, and I think this is one of the funniest parts of our stories that when I had to move to Sydney for school, miraculously you moved to
Sydney as well for a completely different reason. It was and so if that I don't know if that you know, that's a god given thing.
But I think it was.
I think that, you know, we're put.
In the same place at the same time so that that you know, I think I was going to say that, so that we can have each other, but I think I just needed how.
Much you needed.
Well, it was a lot of trouble, but.
I definitely feel like, yeah, those the years after school. Also, you know, you've continuously supported me through my life You've provided a lot of stability for me.
I think that's the key thing. Really.
It's that stability and constancy where you say you're going to do something and you do it. You say you'll be there, you show up. You don't leave that open to it. I might, I might not, depends how I feel on the day, you know, you do it. And I think that's what my aim was, to give you that stability so that you could actually grow from a place of sense of safety, knowing you had backing, knowing that somebody was there for you, because everybody needs that.
Yeah.
And I know my dad died when I was twenty one, and when I lost that, that was really hard.
So I thought, well, look at you, and I felt so sorry for you, you know, And.
That's why, you know, I really consistently kept that at the forefront of my mind so that I would always be there and I wouldn't just go I've had enough now.
Yeah.
I think that's quite remarkable and profound in a way that you made the decision early on and you stuck by what you said you were going to do always. I say this to my partner, Denny, I say, there's one person in this world who I trust entirely, and that is you. I trust you completely. You've never let me down, you know. Oh it's a big no, you haven't.
You've never let me down. You've never gone against your word, You've never lied to me, you haven't ever made me feel less than you know, even in the early days of being a little run around kid, rough kid from cold al you know, you just showed me a lot love. And I think that that's what kids need.
Absolutely, that's the key, That's what everybody needs. But you know where that's lacking you, it's a gap. You can be a gap fillow for that, and any body, as you say, can be that gap fellow.
You can be a grandmother, an aunt and uncle.
A random stranger whoever, who supports just one person in their lives and that can completely change a life.
I wanted to ask you, if you look back on the journey of taking on this role, what have been some of the highlights for you?
Oh? I just think the fact that there are so many successes, and you know, you have your ups the downs and you just have to ride those waves. But to see you where you are today, knowing that you always had talent, that you had an ability that you really wanted to make a better life and I've.
Achieved it, and I'm just so thrilled.
I can't be more happy about that than what I am. And even seeing your brothers as well, and the nieces and nephews and really wanting them to do well as well, that gives me so much pleasure. Yeah, gives me so much gratification. And oh it's a bit teary, but it's like it's a delight to do it, absolute delight to do it. Because when things turn around for people and lives have changed and you're part of that part of that,
then you feel as over you've achieved something really great. Yeah, nobody else might know about it, but you are achieving something that you can hold on to and to say, well, look where we've come from.
We were here, now we're here.
Yeah.
And I think that's a really important point to make. It's that you know, if you're a young person or anyone, yeah, and you don't have the people around you who can show you support, love, guidance, nurture you or care for you in a way that you need, there are people out there that will that will.
They are and you know if you can't find them, find a friend, one friend who wants to have a better life, and do it with them. Sometimes it's somebody your own age and you have to take each other's hands or not literally, but you do, and you you forge your future together. You can do it even as children adolescents. You decide no, I want to go out and get a job and work and earn money and end up having the things that I need in life. There's always a way. There are places you can go.
We went to the Aboriginal Strategy I think in Tamworth, and I know we had one of the girls. She was able to get help there and support. They're going to TAFE and doing courses and there's an Aboriginal support place at TAFE. So there are places that you can go and very quick little courses you can do to get skilled up, weekend courses and go walk on the work on the road or the rail and then build from their Yeah, well paid jobs.
Yeah you just got to go. I go to do it.
Yeah. Thank you so much for coming on, Thank you for having me first podcast.
For all the lovely things you've said to.
I really mean them, immed back to you mean them. I feel so grateful I was writing in a journal as part of my seventy five Hard Challenge, and so many of those pages have your name in it because the gratitude that I was feeling, just because I know that I wouldn't be at where I'm at right now without your love and support. So thank you for that, and thank you for your continued love and support. And for all those out there who don't have you know their mums in their lives. You know, I hope that
you're feeling okay around Mother's Day. Maybe you can find that love in other people as well, because there's always someone out there who's, you know, willing to show you love. So if you love what you hear on our podcast, make sure you reach out. Our inbox is always open for a chat and you can find me at its Maddie Meals. And I don't think you have Instagram, do you, Pip? You don't want to be talking to the viewers. Your
phone is constantly calling. And one of the things that I will just wrap up on is that most people who've been able to have you in their lives always say that you're a godsend.
So I want to ask you the.
Serious question, are you real or are you an angel?
I'm definitely real and weaknesses and all the things that go up and down in.
Life, because there are so many people that are just like she's an angel, she's a godsend, and I say, I agree, but she's real.
I'm real.
Well, that's all we will wrap it up.
Thank you so much for listening to First things first, if you love what you hear, leave us a rating and the litter review. And if you want us to cover anything on the podcast, make sure you let us know so you can hit me up at It's Maddie Meals. And you can hit Brook up at at Brook dot Blurton or catch all the nov podcast action over at over podcast Official.
All right, have a great day by