FROMLEFTMatinaandfamilyather
AustralianDefenceForceAcademy
graduationin1996;Matina’sfirstdayof
school at Alstonville Public School;
Matina and her brother Mark in 1980;
and in 1994 when Matina joined the Army.MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD
ALSTONVILLEAbouthalfwaybetweenLismoreandBallina,thisNorthernRivershinterlandtowninNewSouthWalesislocatedon
theBruxnerHighway, 37 kilometresdowntheM1fromByronBayand 188 kilometressouthofBrisbane.Oncea vastrainforest,thered
cedaroftheAlstonvilleplateaudrewsettlerstotheareainthemid1800s;sugarcaneandthendairyingindustryfollowed.Withitsrich,
volcanicsoil,agriculturehasremaineda constantandtheregionnowproducesmacadamias,avocados,vegetables,coffeeandexotic
andsubtropicalfruit.Theheritagetownofmorethan 5000 peopleisknownforitsstunningdisplayofpurplefloweringTibouchina
‘Alstonville’evergreentreesinMarch,whichweredevelopedbya localplantsman,thelateKenDunstan.TheAlstonvilleHeritageTrail
highlights 17 historicsitesinthetown,includingtheCrawfordHouseMuseum.OUR FAMILY MOVED from Lismore to Alstonville when I was
three, to a beautiful four-hectare property called Red Haven
in the hinterland of Byron Bay with rolling green hills and
rich, bright-red soil. We had eight horses and I did a lot of
pony club and three-day eventing. I started riding from the
age of two and we did a lot together as a family with horses:
we’d go away for gymkhanas, shows and camps. Mum ended
up as chief instructor of our pony club and Dad was involved
as president and treasurer. Our parents became involved in
anything we did: learning the sport and participating in it.
My very first horse was a 12-hand bay Welsh mountain
pony. We called her Princess and she had the attitude to
match her name! I can’t remember how many times I fell
off that horse; she’d dump me in the bottom paddock and
I’d have to walk all the way home.
I really enjoyed dressage and it was a challenge to get to
a high level. The last horse I had, Top Fancy, was amazing;
he was an ex-racehorse and his mother, Gala Supreme, won
the Melbourne Cup in 1973. He had enough time on the
track to be quite a challenging horse to ride for showing
or pony club. He’d either win supreme champion or you’d
have to take him home after the first event.
I went to Alstonville Public School and then Alstonville
High School and I was quite good at academics. Sport
was a reward if you did your work at school and I played
multiple sports at state level and represented Australia
in two. I toured China playing volleyball; it was quite
a life experience and I learnt a lot about myself.
Most weekends were sport-oriented, but I also spent a lot
of my childhood at Lennox Head where my grandparents
lived and the whole surfing and beach culture had a biginf luence on my life. I have an affinity with the ocean and
went on to be the first woman in the Army to be a navy diver.
I was really competitive and quite hardworking. I was
attracted to team sports and found myself a leader. I just
wanted to see how far I could push myself. I was adventurous
and spirited, but also quite disciplined and prepared to do
the hard work and was very goal-focused at a young age.
We grew up in a very loving, nurturing family
environment and did a lot of things together. Integrity,
responsibility, trust and a ‘never give up’ attitude were
instilled in us. That ‘no matter what’s happening, find the
strength to keep going and push through’ mentality held
me in good stead for my military career.
My elder brother Mark is still such a great positive
inf luence. I always admired and respected him, and he’s
been a great supporter. He used to set these benchmarks in
academics and sport for me to aspire to. My parents were
equally encouraging and there were never restrictions
because of my gender. It was always, ‘If you work hard enough
you can do whatever you want to’, which gave me the attitude
to reach for the stars and see where life could take me.
A really pivotal part of my life was touring China, playing
volleyball. It was the first time I had seen poverty and I came
home far more appreciative of what I have. That inf luence
led me to become an officer in the Australian Army. The
work I do now as a keynote speaker and advisor allows me
to share my experiences with my clients across industries
around the world. I like to remind myaudiences that every
day we get to choose the lens we see th through: what
lens did you choose today, and what pe ive
might serve you better for the future?38 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2019
FROM LEFTMatina and family at her