The only thing more difficult than bouncing back from poverty and alcoholism, might be living the rest of your life in such a dire situation. As Anna Stanely realised one morning after a night of heavy drinking, she would have to make a change, or continue along the dark path to its dead end.
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The Moree-local was invited to speak at the Dhiiyaan Aboriginal Centre on Wednesday, to share her real-life story of struggle with the NAIDOC Princess entrants.
“I am so grateful that I was able to tell my story to the young princesses. I hope that my life-story inspired them to keep pushing forward during a difficult situation,” she said.
Anna was only 11 years old when her single-mother passed away.
“My parents were separated and my dad lived in Sydney. I didn’t know him too well. He passed away when I was 12,” Anna said.
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Her brothers and sisters were left with the task of raising their orphaned sibling, though they themselves had childhood traumas to deal with.
“When they were really young, before I was born, they were taken away from my mum by welfare: they were placed in my grandmother’s care,” Anna said.
It wasn’t long before Anna packed up her things and headed to Sydney to live with her cousins.
“I was 14. I didn’t go to school either at the time. I think a big part of the reason I wagged school was because I was being bullied. Kids would pick on me because I am came from a dysfunctional family. They would make comments about my appearances,” Anna said.
The first time I smoked weed was when I was 14. I then started drinking alcohol and doing drugs when I was 18. It was because of the way I was living that the alcohol and drugs made me feel good.
- Anna Stanley
She was 15 and going onto 16 when Anna met her partner Stanley. The couple returned to Moree for a brief time before they spent the better part of the 90s travelling between QLD and NSW, living on the dole. By the time the pair returned to Moree in 1997, Anna said she was juggling poverty with a drug and alcohol habit.
“The first time I smoked weed was when I was 14. I then started drinking alcohol and doing drugs when I was 18. It was because of the way I was living that the alcohol and drugs made me feel good.”
Though, it was a particular morning after a habitual night of binge-drinking that led the hungover-Anna to reflect on her situation.
“I hated living in poverty: not having enough money, not having enough food, not having enough nice things in the home. I was surviving pay day to pay day. I always had family to help, but I didn’t want to rely on them all the time. I wanted a life for myself,” Anna said.
Anna enrolled in a back-to-school program at TAFE to get her life back on track. With help from the Aboriginal Employment Strategy she was able to land a driver’s license, which opened up avenues of employment.
“I was also set up with work experience. I went to Fairview Retirement Village and it was awesome. I felt really good about myself, that I was doing something,” she said.
A six month stint at Bible College and five years at Home Care (now named Australian Unity) cemented Anna’s conviction that she wanted to help other people.
She has been happily working at Challenge Disability Services since 2011. She credits her mother as a constant source of inspiration.
“I would hear stories about my mother from other ladies. They said she was a good lady who always took people off the street and into her home, even if they were family or not: she was a kind and gentle person with everyone she met,” Anna said.
While Anna has been busy helping others, she still manages to squeeze in time for herself.
“When I turned 40, I walked across the Harbour Bridge, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. I also went skydiving with my niece for her 21st birthday. That was amazing,” Anna said.
The Sisters Under the Skin led the Moree Miss NAIDOC Princess entrants to Terry Hie Hie today for a tour of their cultural history.
