Christina Carmody
 I was born in Esperance in 1972 to Harry and Roma Carmody. I am the youngest of seven children.
I went to school at Boulder Primary and have forged many close friendships that have lasted until this very day and will continue to last into the future. With these friends I went into High School at Eastern Goldfields Senior High and that made my transition into my adulthood all the more easier to bear. Older siblings also helped me tremendously.
I remember the day when my sister – Debbie – came home with an Afro hair-do. I thought, “Wow, I want to be like her one day. I want to have an Afro, wear white flared pants and huge cork clogs.” Well, that is all the rage now, but I can safely say that I have no desire to wear such garb!
My parents have always been musical and artistic. I remember going on little trips out to my dad who is the best musician in the world. At one stage he had five guitars! The best one that I loved was his twelve strings. I was so disappointed the day dad sold it to another family member. But I soon got over that – I played his Gibson. I would sit down with dad and he would teach me how to play songs. I learnt from his friends at jam sessions – and yes, I strummed away to Country and Western. Dad taught me to play a beautiful Spanish song, ‘Maria Elena’.
I remember the day so clearly when mum and her sister, Aunty Robin decided to enrol my cousin Sharon and me in the Goldfields Music School. We were going to learn violin, so Aunty Elsie went out and bought “The Devil went down to Georgia”, and played the song over and over and over again. We were devastated! We just sat and stared at each other with sheer horror etched into our faces. It was deemed un-cool! But I was forced and had to practice every day for an hour without fail. Sometimes I would be sobbing while practicing. But I quickly learnt to read music, which I am still able to use this skill now in my adult years. I sat for my yearly exams with the Australian Music Examinations Board and in my first years I obtained a B+ grade – my parents were so proud. I enrolled to learn the piano because my sister Libby was taking lessons and I had terrific times, but I also wanted to learn more guitar, so I nagged at my parents to enrol me in the local guitar school. My dad and I went to my first lesson and the instructor asked me to play a song to see what level I was at – I played ‘Maria Elena’. I remember plucking out this classical Spanish song and my dad was sitting there tapping his foot to the beat and smiling encouragingly. My instructor told me that I did not need lessons – I was insulted! Now when I look back I laugh. Libby began learning the saxophone and mum enrolled us in Music Appreciation Classes and the Goldfields Orchestra. My memories of this time are happy and they serve as one of many conversation pieces between Libby, Sharon and myself today – we have a really good laugh at our antics.
During this time I was becoming increasingly interested in Visual Art. I would draw everywhere! When dad did some renovations, especially when he laid new gyprock on the walls I would come along behind him and draw over it. I would wonder why he didn’t paint the walls straight away afterwards. Now I think it was because he couldn’t bring himself to do it. I drew on my bedroom walls. I completed a design and it stayed on my wall until two years ago. I had to paint over it, so mum took photos before we painted. We had an outside toilet and every week the design and colour would change. I just loved anything to do with paint and design.
When I hit my teenage years in the mid 1980s I decided to leave music and concentrate on my Visual Arts. I regret leaving music, although now it is solely for personal reasons why I continue playing the violin, piano and guitar. It is my hobby, which relaxes me – I love the challenge of teaching myself difficult classical songs.
 I left high school at the end of year 10 and tried to gain a place in the Visual Arts Course at the Kalgoorlie College. I was devastated and confused as to why I was not accepted, so I decided to work. My first job was as a “check-out chick” at Coles. I saved for a year then went on a holiday with my sister and two of our friends to Bali (yes, we’ve all been to Bali), and that was a good achievement, especially as I was on minimum wage and only sixteen. When I came back I talked with mum and dad and decided to go back and complete my tertiary education. I got as far as year 11. Before I left as part of the 75th Anniversary of Eastern Goldfields Senior High School celebrations I curated an exhibition of Wongi artists. I organised a cultural display of singing, dancing and storytelling, which complemented the exhibition. I also sold two of my own paintings.
I sat for the Public Service Test and gained employment at the then Department of Social Security. I worked up as far as a level three, which back in those days was really good pay for a 17 year old. After three years I got tired – I realised that working behind a desk managing other people’s lives was far too stressful and not for me. I moved to Perth for a year where I worked as a nanny, a receptionist at the Western Australian Aboriginal Media Association and again at the Department of Social Security. I was disillusioned once again, so I moved back home to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
I began a course to complete my tertiary studies. This was for a year. With this behind me I was able to join another course which was for the Performing Arts. I really enjoyed learning a lot- all facets of theatre work from designing costumes to directing a stage play. But I needed to earn a living (it is extremely hard for students to survive on Abstudy or Austudy), so I gained employment as the Fines Liaison Officer at the Kalgoorlie Court House. I continued to work there for another three years.
In the meantime my sister Debbie had already started her degree in Communications at Edith Cowan University. She came home to work for the holidays and was telling me about her studies. Her enthusiasm rubbed off onto me. I woke one morning and went to work. I remember saying to my boss, “John, I feel that I am not really cut out for this work, I want to take one year off without pay and go to Perth to study.”
He agreed and supported my request for leave – it was granted. So, within
a month I was moving to Perth with my sister. It was sad saying goodbye to my family, especially to my nephew and nieces.
I completed my University Entrance Course through Kurongkurl Katitijin at Edith Cowan University. I met some of the most wonderful people. I had to go back to Kalgoorlie to continue to work at the courthouse over the summer break, so I handed in my resignation.
The following year I decided to study Arts Management. I found that the course was more designed at Directorship in the Performing Arts, so I left after six months. I then completed a Business Mathematics Course (and boy was that hard!). The following year I knew what I really wanted to do – study Visual Arts. So, I gained a place in the course and studied hard for a year. At the end of my first year the position for a trainee at the Art Gallery of Western Australia was advertised. I had two friends who had completed their Visual Arts degree and one with Honours who were going to apply for the position. I decided not to apply as I thought that I would never have a chance to be considered next to them. Again Debbie encouraged me to apply, in fact it was more like nagged! So, there I was sitting up until 3:30am the morning that the application was due writing and typing madly. You can imagine my joy and jubilation when I received a letter saying that I had gained an interview. My family back home was equally happy.
I went and bought a new suit and shoes for the interview. I practiced and practiced with other family members grilling me with all these questions. I was a nervous wreck. I styled my hair, put on my make-up and dressed in my new suit. Debbie was there still offering advice. I was really nervous now! Not a word was said in the car going to the Gallery.
The interview was good – it went quite fast. I came out and said to Debbie, “Let’s go to the pub.”
 I dared not allow myself to dream that I had the position. Then I received the letter stating that I had won the position. I went crazy with happiness. Debbie went crazy and we rung home to let my family know. Everyone up there went crazy too. When I rung I spoke to Lynette (she was visiting mum and dad at the time), she yelled down the phone, “What! you’ve got the job?” Then I heard mum in the background, “What! Tina’s got the job?” I laughed and laughed then went out to celebrate.
 So here I am…into my third year of my traineeship and loving every minute of it. Unfortunately, I was only able to work with Brenda L. Croft for one year as she took up a position at the National Gallery of Australia. I now work under the mentorship of Trevor Smith, Curator of Contemporary Art; Janda Gooding, Curator of Historical Art; Robert Cook, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art; Melissa Harpley, Associate Curator of Historical Art; Philip Burns, Project Manager and Carly Lane, Associate Curator of Indigenous Art.
I am blessed to be able to work with people with such prestige, professional and high work ethics. Also, I am blessed to be working at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. This is a career that I have always wanted to do since I was fourteen and now that I am thirty I am here to stay. I feel though that my family deserve all the credit. I was encouraged to develop my creative urges. I was taught to work hard, travel and establish a career. I leave these final words to my father who would always say, “You are young, go and travel the world, get a good career. Do all these things, and then think about settling down.”
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