New President of Lorne Sculpture Biennale, Lindy Joubert, recalls with fondness the halcyon student days of working as a waitress at the Arab in the 60s.
Although she stayed in Mrs. Kelly’s Guest House with the other waitresses, she spent some time with the Smith family who owned the restaurant. Steve Politis, the coffee maker, asked Lindy and Jane (also a waitress on staff) to be bridesmaids at his wedding although they had never met his bride, Irene. Steve eventually bought the business and friendships continued as with her connection to The Arab. Another Arab staff member, George Vassilopoulos, moved to the Abominable Snowman Restaurant at Mt Buller, which he also ended up owning. His wife Elena became Lindy’s bridesmaid when she married.
Sydney born but brought up and educated in Melbourne, Lindy studied painting and graphic design at RMIT and in the US and gained a teaching qualification at Melbourne University. Her first job was a book designer, the second as a senior lecturer in design, a position which she holds today but in the architecture faculty at Melbourne University.
Lindy is also a practising artist having had 37 exhibitions including an impressive six in New York.
She is a founding director of the UNESCO Observatory (multi-disciplinary research in the arts) and travels extensively in that position, leaving the country six times in 2016. Most destinations are remote countries, including Africa, Iran, Tiwi Islands, PNG and Lapland, all of which she loves and couldn’t choose a favourite.
She is Vice-President of The World Craft Council (Asia/Pacific region- South Pacific) and says, her interest in the arts is now used instrumentally for community health and development.
Lindy’s vast experience in the arts, and as a facilitator, including organising a number of international conferences for UNESCO in the Asia Pacific, stands her in good stead to lead the committee for the 2018 Lorne Sculpture Biennale.
She has two adult children, four grandchildren and a dog called Daisy, who is clearly a close friend.
Admitting that exercise is critical, her main exercise is making sure Daisy gets her daily walk.
