I won't settle for less

Tina was born in Holland and came out to Australia in 1950. Her family travelled in a caravan around Australia looking for work. Her parents were very poor and strangers in this land. Growing up without electricity or running water, poverty and violence made Tina a strong advocate for the working class and the disadvantaged. By the time she was twelve her parents had separated and she was placed in a foster home for a period of time. By the age of fifteen she was supporting herself as a waitress, a telephonist, go-go dancer, singer, and house cleaner. Over Tina's life she experienced child sexual abuse, domestic violence and rape. She has never seen herself as a victim, Tina is a survivor and has always kept searching for a better life. In 1975 Tina became a feminist and has been a political activist and an advocate for women and children's safety for over forty years. Her life was often stressful especially when she became a single mother. Tina's way of coping with her stress was to sing in bands around Adelaide. Tina was one of the original members of the women's punk band the Red Meds in 1980 and she then sang in a women's band called Modesty B Blazed. Later on, she sang in mixed gender bands and took on acting roles for the Junction Theatre Company. Tina went to university at the age of 30 and became a social worker, community developer and then a narrative therapist. In 2006 Tina started her journey with her partner, working and travelling around Australia, employed as a narrative therapist in remote areas around Australia. Tina sees herself as 'a woman giving birth to myself.' Now at 72 years old she is ready to tell her story