I can't begin to express the joys that living here has brought me - the adventures, the experience, the wonderful memories and the fantastic opportunities that Alice has provided for me. She has opened many doors, presented me with a few obstacles, supported my dreams and created a brilliant reality that I will cherish all the days of my life.
The following are just a few excerpts of this most wonderful journey.
I began teaching in 1977 at Yennora Public School. In 1979 I transferred to Yagoona Public as a district relief teacher, so that I could spend more of my time over the next 5 years completing my undergraduate degree externally through the University of New England. I was selected for school counsellor training in 1983 and undertook a Master's degree in psychology (sponsored by the NSW Education Department) at Macquarie University and graduated in 1988. I worked as a counsellor at Whalan High and Canterbury Boys High until I resigned from the NSW Education Department in 1990, prior to heading off to the Gay Games in Vancouver. In combination, I also taught English to adult migrants in Campsie, Dulwich Hill and Cabramatta part-time over a period of 13 years.
A couple of years before I arrived the sudden and unexpected death of my father; John, in 1991 had a rather significant impact on my world. I was feeling somewhat rudderless and, after leaving a job I travelled overseas for 2 months essentially to attend an AIDS Conference in Berlin, but included travelling via South Africa to visit with my friend Simon and explore some parts of Europe out of Berlin. Part of that trip saw me linked up with two other psychologists who had started gay psychologist groups; one in the USA and one in Europe. Jan (John) Schippers (Amsterdam, NL), Dr. Catherine Acuff (Boston, USA) and I were driving from Amsterdam to Berlin to attend the conference. They had each successfully created gay & lesbian psychologist groups within their relative jurisdictions. From the front seat, they both turned around to me and suggested that I might establish one in Australia - and so I did in time.
Upon returning to Sydney I needed to get a job, mostly to pay for the trip I'd just been on. I grabbed a copy of the Sydney Star Observer, found a position with the AIDS Council in Alice Springs and applied successfully. I left my home in the very capable hands of my sister Jenny and her boyfriend Darren with a one way ticket supplied by the AIDS Council. And so this remarkable journey began. The plan in my mind was to come for a period of up to two years. If I didn't like it here, I could always jump a plane and head back home to Sydney. As time has proven, that didn't happen.
It was very nearly my last day in
Alice (and on Earth) when I had my first encounter with a road
train while riding the bike down the Stuart Highway. Jammed
between the curb-side and a 16 wheel vehicle was very scary
for what was only a minute but seemed like an eternity, and I
really thought 'this is it'. I got lost on the way back home
to Piggy Street but finally made it through the maze of Gillen
streets.
You may well wonder how I can remember all that off the top of my head. I suppose it's because it was so special. I was made feel welcome from the moment I touched the ground. The overwhelming feeling of love and support was very apparent. It was the first week that made it for me here in the Alice.
I went back to Sydney that Christmas deciding that I had found a new home here in Alice. I had a load of my possessions trucked back up and left the house in Erskineville to a renter. Jenny and Darren were moving to Gladesville. As it turned out, I never stayed or lived in the house again. I came back to Alice filled with enthusiasm and conviction. Mum came up to visit in the May and we drove to Ayers Rock; the first time for both of us, and saw in raining on the rock the afternoon we arrived - another special and significant experience that Mum and I enjoyed together.
Internal politics combined with a
clash of personality issues drove me to leave ACOCA in late
November 1994 to join the Community Mental Health Team. The
salary more than doubled ACOCA's and I was far more content
from a working perspective. I worked day and afternoon shifts
and was often on call over the next five years. There's
nothing like sleeping with a pager! That experience was very
fulfilling under the guidance of the manager, Vicki. She left
in 1996 but came back after 3 years away in NSW and I stayed
with the team until 2000 when I joined the Education
Department to cover for a colleague on 12 months leave.
Under the auspices & support of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the Gay & Lesbian Issues and Psychology Special Interest Group was born from Central Australia within the first couple of years of my being there. A series of letters sent via snail mail were sent to all the gay/lesbian psychologists I could find in the national gay papers to glean an impression of whether others would support such a venture. The group continues to operate under the leadership of Dr Damien Rigg in Adelaide with a healthy membership in excess of 120 active members. It now enjoys an international recognition with some of the members attending overseas symposiums etc (as I did in San Francisco August 2001). Alice Springs certainly allows people 'permission' to create new enterprises and explore adventures where they didn't previously exist. On ya, Alice!!!
I never returned to Mental Health
on a permanent basis after 2000, opting instead to begin a
career in private practice as a psychologist. It meant that I
could be more flexible with my dual careers as both a
practitioner and tourism operator. I began full-time private
practice working at St Philip's College in 2001 as their first
psychologist/counsellor, gradually building a presence from
one to four days per week.
Phil & Kalika
© Rainbow Connection: used with permission. |
I now have a business day on Wednesdays to 'play' in tourism and get lots of business things done. Building the Rainbow Connection as the first established gay and lesbian bed and breakfast requires a good deal of business time and along with my good friend and business partner in Alice IS Wonderland; Kalika, we spend time dreaming up new events and promoting Alice to the gay and lesbian communities globally. Whilever it all stays fun, I'll continue. |
In early 1999 I sold my Erskineville property in Sydney, retaining Robin Street South Golden Beach near Byron Bay as an investment, to purchase the Raggatt Street properties here in Alice. I moved into 22 Raggatt Street on Friday 29th January and purchased number 24 at auction the next day for $121,000. It was a very busy 48 hours! The Rainbow Connection dream began establishing over the next 18 months. My first renters at 24 were Cain and Paola for a short time followed by Andrew and Matthew who lived there for about 18 months. They were soon followed by Anthony, Tim, Clinton and Alex who all shared together for a while before Alex and Clinton moved on to live in Sydney. Tim and Anthony remained for an extended period before Tim moved to Sydney to be with his new partner, David. Anthony and Darren moved into their own place on the north side of town and moved in the day before Brett and David arrived in town to live. Those boys lived on the 'Estate' for just on 2 years before heading off to Brisbane. The property has now become a gay guest retreat and forms part of the short term rental accommodation.
Sexual partners were a casual affair for many of the years I was here. They were certainly not a priority. Surprisingly, one day the universe took over and presented me with an angel to begin a brand new year.
Glenn came into my life on New Years' Eve 2000. We were both at Kalika and Linda's party. He would come to events at my place over the next few months and was very supportive during the Alice IS Wonderlandhysteria that emerged for 10 weeks in the local newspaper from February 16th through until April of 2001. We remained acquaintances and developed a growing friendship up until 13th July that year when we took our association several steps forward. He continues to be a very special part of how the Rainbow Connection develops and is truly my angel in life and love. He is a remarkably affable young man who is very devoted and loving. I'm so glad to have him in my world for as long as he chooses to be here.
Last year I celebrated my Decade Of Alice in August; a celebration of my time here and some of the events that took place over that time. It was a fantastic celebration with my Mum, brother Andrew, sister Jenny and Andrew's girlfriend (soon-to-be wife) Pat coming up to join in the party. My eldest sister Stephanie was unable to travel. We had over 100 guests who came and played on the 'Gay Boyz Estate'. There was much to celebrate and much celebration was done! My friend Rose once said to me that Alice is where one learns how to become a human being rather than a human doing. She's so right! | Rose & Phil
© Rose Conolly: used with permission. |