Ange Goegan moved to Werribee in the 80s from Scotland, and has embraced the are whole-heartedly. She married a man who has lived on the same street his entire life, and has no less than five streets named after family members. She tells the full story to Charlene Macaulay.
What is your connection to Werribee?
We emigrated in 1980 from Scotland and we stayed at a Maribyrnong hostel for three months, then we moved to Werribee. I went to Werribee High School and I left there in the beginning of year 12 and did my hairdressing apprenticeship in Hoppers Crossing.
I married the love of my life, Paul, in 1988. He’s a true blue Werribee boy, through and through. He’s from a farming family and this was all their farmland. It’s been built on now. They’ve got at least five street names named after family members – Trinca Court, August Street, Goegan Street, Joan Court and Romalyn Court. My husband, when he was little, lived in a house where the front door was on Tower Road, and the back door was Goegan Street, and he always wanted it to be Goegan Street. The Bridge Hotel used to be his grandparents’ house.
We’re close to family … there’s always someone here.
You were diagnosed with myeloma, a blood cancer, in 2010. How did the diagnosis come about?
I was tired, but at first I put it down to [running around with my] kids. I went and got a blood test done and bingo, that wasn’t the case. I had four months of chemotherapy and I had a stem cell transplant. Every three months I get my check-up, I went the other day and got the all-clear again, which was good. I urge people not to ignore symptoms. I support the Relay for Life and Western Hospital and all that sort of thing.
You started out as a hairdresser, now run your cake-making and decorating business, Cocobudz. Tell me about both.
My father-in-law, Gino Goegan, he bought a hairdressing salon which I managed until I had my two children. Then, I didn’t want to leave the kids, so I started working from home.
[After battling myeloma], I had to stay away from chemicals, and I was happy to just do haircuts and bits and pieces, but I found that my body clock just didn’t allow for it. So I started doing a chocolate making course … then I started doing slices and started dabbling in cakes and here I am, I’m now teaching others. It’s a messy job, but I do love it.
What’s your specialty?
I love doing the mud cakes and the drip cakes, I do a lot of. I also enjoy doing kids cakes and wedding cakes. I love seeing that finished product with the flowers, the candles, the whole thing in the venue – it’s just great. It makes you feel good to be part of someone’s special occasion.
If there was something you could change about this area, what would it be?
The infrastructure. Parking is a nightmare. When they narrowed Tower Road, it cost mega dollars and hasn’t improved [the area]. We didn’t feel it was necessary. I think if they had parking bays where the nature strips are, [that would be a good idea]. I believe they should block Watton Street from Station Place to the Commercial Hotel and have a nice piazza area.
