JUDI Moncur was born in Melbourne, grew up in the outer suburb of Eltham, moved to Canberra in her 30s, and later to England where she met her husband.
Returning to Australia Judi taught in Canberra before retiring and shifting to Beechworth seven years ago.
“We loved the place when we visited - it had so much character and struck a chord in both of us,” she said.
What did you do workwise?
I have always loved painting and drawing, and studied art briefly when 17 years old before leaving home at 18.
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I married young and did various jobs before completing year 12 at night school while working.
Later I studied English, History and Psychology at Melbourne University.
I began teaching when I was 30.
What brought you to your role/career?
To be honest, it wasn’t my chosen career.
In an alternative universe, I would have studied art properly, or have been a journalist, but as a single mother of a young child, and with a humanities degree, there were few real choices available then, and I couldn’t afford to study further.
I also did life drawing and sketching occasionally, but my interest in art had to go onto the back burner.
What did you love about your career?
I came to love teaching.
I taught mostly seniors, it was about supporting their learning rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and we were better funded and supported in those days.
I also participated in hiking and cross-country skiing expeditions with the school.
We had a lot of fun on those trips.
Later I worked in a coordinating role on a teaching project for a while, but I disliked the public service environment and was keen to get back to teaching.
What do you do in the community?
After retiring I began painting - something I had always wanted to do but never had the time.
Since moving to Beechworth, I’ve been involved in a few art-minded groups and I’m now secretary of the Beechworth Arts Council.
I also tutor Portraiture at Indigo U3A.
They’re a fun and motivated group.
I enjoy volunteering in the arts area, and I think it’s important to have more people involved.
Sometimes it’s just helping someone develop their skills and watching their progress, and sometimes it’s doing the less interesting but essential administrative stuff.
Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?
I would like to see more funding for the arts, because so often it is underrated and receives less funding than other things.
I think creativity needs to be fostered in people of all ages because it is such an important aspect of mental health and wellbeing.
I think we need a dedicated space for artists and workshops in Beechworth - something many communities already have.
What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?
Climate change and species extinction is without a doubt the most pressing challenge we face in the future because it’s the very basis of human life on earth.
I’m also concerned about the effects of multiple wars on the world and how this will impact world politics and social systems, not to mention the likelihood of pushing climate and social equality issues into the background.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?
My cousin Alison, who lives in the north west of England.
She’s a committed local history nerd and teaches family history at U3A.
She would be amazed by the old buildings in Beechworth, and I would show her all the historic precinct, as well as less visited sites, like the cemetery and the Chinese burning towers.
What book are you reading?
I’ve just finished Daniel Mason’s ‘The North Woods’, about the history of a remote part of New England.
