IN Mary Poppins

Armed with musical lessons, that much-loved governess named Mary Poppins flies into town at the end of March.

Lisa O’Hare shares at least one thing in common with Mary Poppins – they are both sticklers for good manners.

Which is a good thing, because it means Lisa is perfect for the role of Mary Poppins in the internationally popular musical which opens at Burswood Theatre in March.

Mary Poppins was originally created by Queensland author P.L. Travers, who after working in Sydney as an actor and journalist moved to London. Her first Mary Poppins book was published in 1934 and the enduring story of the practically perfect governess enchanted millions of readers. Walt Disney turned Mary Poppins into a movie in 1964 and it has remained one of Disney’s best-loved releases.

The musical brings the books and movie to the stage with enduring songs like Chim Chim Cher-ee, Spoonful of Sugar and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and the first production opened in 2004. Since then the story of the Banks family and their nanny Mary Poppins has been seen by more than eight million people worldwide.

Lisa O’Hare has already played the role twice before, including during a UK national tour. She has also played other iconic female characters like Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady), Sally Bowles (Cabaret), Guinevere (Camelot), Gigi (Gigi) and Mina in Dracula as well as guest starring in television shows Castle, Undercovers and The Closer.

“It’s such an honour to play such an iconic character,” Lisa says. “There are probably only five of us who have had the privilege. It’s a wonderful challenge to step into the shoes of people like Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn.

“Mary Poppins is this other-worldly and eccentric character. She’s a magical and spiritual healer and teacher who steps in and takes over. She doesn’t only teach the children lessons but teaches parents plenty too.”

Hailing from the UK, Lisa now lives in Los Angeles with her American husband Brian, whom she met while working on My Fair Lady. She grew up on a diet of Oliver and Annie until her dad threatened to burn the videos.

“I loved musicals and come from quite a musical family. When I heard they were going to make a musical I was thrilled at the thought of even being considered.”

Of course there’s the inevitable question: what’s it like to fly?

“What can I say,” Lisa chuckles, “you’re either born with it or you’re not.”

Mary Poppins opens at Burwood Theatre on March 31 for a limited season. Tickets from Ticketek.

First home buyers expect first rate homes

Although improving in some aspects, 2012 may be a period of ‘steady as she goes.’ REIWA is reporting that the residential property market’s activity is about 25% lower than long-term averages. Buyer’s sentiment feels slightly defensive and this is reflected in the considered approach buyers are adopting.

However, with nearly one in five new mortgages loaned to first homebuyers in January, it is clear an influential segment of the market is emerging. The balance between this group of people deciding to take up home ownership and those deciding to stay-put renting, is a significant catalyst and a contributing factor to the ups and downs of the market.

After the Government’s First Home Buyers Boosts we saw a major upswing in 2009. Albeit an artificial means of inflating prices and a distortion of the market…but certainly an influential act nonetheless.

While the activity in this sector gives some cause for wary optimism, affordability in 2012 may also see many choosing to remain in the renting game. This would consequently have a major impact on the investment market resulting in stronger rental returns for landlords. Moreover, with this high demand on the rental market, yields will be driven up and vacancies forced down; combine this with more affordable interest rates and there will be some movement in investments.

There have also been some structural shifts in societal norms which are important factors to consider when analysing market trends. One of particular note is; people are deciding to live at the family home for much longer. The average age many would become first home owners in previous years used to be around the age of 24…now many are waiting until they are at least 28. This is partly lifestyle driven and also financially driven. The emerging generation of new buyers seem to be much more inclined to wait until they can afford their ideal first home instead of just ‘making do.’ Perhaps it has also become more socially acceptable to stay with the parents longer? And before us baby boomers go to mouth the words…“back in my day…” just accept the fact that things have changed and may be for the better.

The other trend that we are noticing is that less first homebuyers are building new homes with currently seven out of ten purchasing established properties. Construction is a powerful means of stimulating the economy and it’s often a tool Governments use when the economy is dull. So this decline in new builds in the residential market will also be having a knock-on effect especially in the pricing of established homes.

This trend is likely being driven by established homes potentially offering a better value proposition and a much quicker way for first homebuyers to get into the market. Many also have a strong desire to stay relatively close to the city centre and other urban nodes plus affordable house and land packages in the inner suburbs are now basically non-existent. The rise of DIY home renovation TV shows could also have sparked the interest in buying established homes. But perhaps it just comes down to the simple fact that they are seeking something different.

As already mentioned, the current property market may not be in an ideal state, but the silver lining is we are living in an ideal State, a State that is well placed to weather the economic issues outside of Australia. So whether you are a first homebuyer, a tenant, a landlord, (or even a parent housing your 28 year old children), if you want to stay ahead of the property game, it is crucial to stay informed or use an informed agent or property manager and be flexible to market conditions. As one thing is for sure; market conditions will never stay the same.

IN Spirit

For some it’s just another public holiday but for others Anzac Day will be spent marking the occasion. What better way to do so than by spending April 25 on a European battlefield where Aussie soldiers gave their all.

If you want to know anything about Australia’s involvement in the world wars, Mat McLachlan is the guy to talk to.

The Sydneysider is one of the country’s leading war historians and battlefield guides, particularly when it comes to Australian troops. He has published a number of books and appears regularly in the media as a commentator. He also designs the tours for Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours and guides many of them himself.

While Battlefield Tours cater largely to boomers, growing numbers of young people are keeping the Anzac legends alive and visiting sites like Gallipoli. Mat says the images of those Australians who volunteered for World War I and then fought for their country still seem to stand for the qualities considered quintessentially Aussie today.

“I think they are because they identify with what it means to be Australian,” Mat says. “It’s hard to explain it in simple terms but I think people look back on that time as a simpler time and a golden one. We’d just achieved federation and I think those young men felt they were helping the mother country and wanted to stand up for democracy. I think people are proud of that.

“The landing at Gallipoli sums up everything that’s good about Australia – having a go, helping your mates – all the good things we like to think about ourselves. We’ve taken the best from that battle. In the face of disaster these men hung on and did the right thing.”

Anzac Day is of course one of their busiest times of the year for the group. Battlefield Tour’s most popular trip is the Western Front Tour, which starts on April 18 and allows travellers to attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, where we lost 45,000 men.

Other stops include the Australian 2nd Division Memorial and the remains of trenches captured by Australian troops on the 1918 battlefield of Mont St Quentin, the iconic town of Ypres and a Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, where the names of 54,000 missing British and Commonwealth soldiers are recorded.

“People really seem to want to travel to different battlefields for Anzac Day and they seem to want to spend it on foreign battlefields,” says Mat about how Battlefield Tours came about. While there are plenty of tours for veterans and their families, particularly in the US and UK, there aren’t that many for civilians. “The people who come with us are not just military history buffs or people who have a relative involved.”

Thirty-seven-year-old Mat didn’t grow up in a military family though he did have a grandfather he never met who was involved in World War II. He says it’s a fairly typical story – growing up in a country town in New South Wales, going to the dawn services ignited his interest in military history, particularly Australian involvement.

“That I’m a young person is important to the fact that a lot of these celebrations and memorials are being kept alive by young people. In places like America they are having a tough time keeping remembrance alive as the original soldiers are dead or passing away. Here it just seems to be getting bigger.”

Battlefield Tours offer trips to significant World War II locations in Europe as well as Vietnam, Waterloo and even former rocket launch sites in France. They’re also branching out to explore military history in other interesting locations like the Philippines and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
For more information, go to www.battlefields.com.au.