The Werribee that Merlin Sykes remembers from childhood is vastly different to the place she now calls home. The mother of two tells Charlene Macaulay about her childhood in Werribee and her varied career.
What’s your connection to the Wyndham area?
My family came here in 1919 … my grandfather established orchards in Chirnside Avenue. We sold the orchards in the 1960s. I lived here until I married and moved away when I was 20. It doesn’t matter where I’ve lived in the world, Werribee has always been home. The connection is deep. In some ways, it’s a connection to a Werribee that no longer exists except in my memory.
What was Werribee like when you were a child?
Sport was big. The social part of the town revolved around sport. We had the picture theatre in Station Place, which was great. They had shows on Saturday and Wednesday nights. Everybody knew everybody. As kids, we just roamed around all over the place on our bikes. It felt a safe place. There were three churches in Synnot Street and St Andrew’s over the river – most people went to church in those days.
Tell me about your career in theatre.
I went all over the place – Sydney, Adelaide, Hong Kong. I was an actor and a stage manager. It’s always been a tough industry to get into. There’s always more people wanting to do it than there are jobs but I worked fairly consistently for 10 years and that was great.
What were some of your highlights from your career in theatre?
The first one I did was a play called Big Bad Mouse with Jimmy Edwards and Eric Sykes … we travelled Australia and New Zealand with that one. I did a thing called Why Not Stay for Breakfast with Derek Nimmo. I stage managed Godspell, and I worked in children’s theatre with the Arena Theatre Company. The last show I did was The Pleasure of His Company, which had Douglas Fairbanks Junior in it. Then I got sick of travelling, so I stopped.
What happened after that?
I produced fashion shows for Myer Melbourne for a few years. After I had my kids – Brook, 32, and Trystan, 29 – I worked as a mediator, resolving disputes. Eventually I got into the funeral industry, which I adore … now I’m semi-retired and working as a celebrant.
As a celebrant, how hard is it to turn off at the end of a day’s work?
If you see what you do as a real service to a family, and if they come back and say that I really got the essence of their loved one, then you’ve done your job right. Whilst I’m very empathetic, it’s not my loss, it’s theirs. I do tend not to wear mascara when I’m working – just in case. It can be harrowing if you’re looking after young people, and the accidents and suicides, because people are so shattered. If I have to debrief, it’s a glass of wine when I get home.
What are your hobbies?
I love theatre and music, classical music. I read voraciously. I love Facebook – I’m a Facebook junkie. I have all these connections, particularly with all my buddies from my theatre days.
