Kate’s 70th Birthday
Kate and some of her guests cutting a mean rug as Zoltan plays his little heart out.
My sister Kate Landsberry was born on Wednesday 21 July 1954, the first of the three Landsberry children.
During late 2023 and on into 2024 as the subject of a 70th celebration was considered, there was much angst and vacillation as Kate worked her way through a myriad of options for the venue, the date, the time, the music, big or small, etc. There were times when it was wafer thin close to not eventuating at all – to Kate it all seemed a bit self-indulgent and, at times, way too hard.
Then everything seemed to coalesce as the details became clearer, and all thoughts of ‘self-indulgence’ were cast aside. And in March 2024 the following invitation went winging its way across the ether, far and wide.
The Invitation
Kate celebrated her 70th birthday in style at the Funhaus Factory in Gosford with an eclectic group of family and friends. We all began to arrive at 5pm – some even a little earlier! The outfits were many and varied, each more outstanding than what had come before.
In the photos below you can see the difference between how Mum looked at her 70th in 1998, and how Kate looked at own 70th twenty-six years later. Mum was a ‘little’ more demure, while Kate teeters on the edge of outrage, as always. 😜
The feedback from so many people was that it all turned out to be the best party that many had been to. And even more importantly, it was EXACTLY the party Kate had wanted – maybe even better! You simply can’t ask for more than that.
This story looks at Kate’s party from the invite to the professional photos, with speeches, links to video, pictures and the like. I hope you enjoy it all as much as Kate enjoyed her party.
Videos and Photos
When Zoltan wasn’t wowing us with his musical prowess, a video ran in the background. It included pictures of Kate across her 70 years, as well as some of her best early morning snaps, and a selection from her fabulous black, white and red cartoons drawn from her own life. You’ll be able to see those cartoons on this website soon.
If you’d like to wander through the professional photos taken throughout the night, please click here.
And if you’d like to watch the video referred to above, it’s just 18 minutes long, and you can access it by clicking the image below.
Speeches
Kate’s Welcome
Kate delivering her words of welcome
Hi all – I’d like to welcome you all to my party.
99% of it is all about ME – as you’d expect of course!! But there’s also a lot about each of you 😊 And what a night to have so many of the amazingly special people in my life in one place!
I’d like to start by acknowledging the Darkinjung people, the traditional owners of the land we're meeting on tonight, and pay respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
And I also wanted to do some intros!
First, this is my brother Rob and he’ll be MC tonight – not that there’s much to do, because it’s all pretty loose. Which reminds me I must get a refund of MC money from Rob!
And this is Zoltan – our wonderful muso. He’s going to be doing the first of a few sets as soon as I shut up. [RL: Zoltan was a wee bit later than expected…but he turned out to be perfect!]
There are a few different groups here tonight, and some of you won’t know each other, which is fine, because you all know me! And some of you may be in more than one group.
So, give me a shout-out if you’re one of the Munch Bunch, the rowdy food lovers! Don’t worry…there WILL be more food. Including cakes …no vanilla slices Carol, but 3 portions allocated to you Doug!
And scattered in amongst the Munch Bunch – a shout out from the Line Dancers and the Rock 'n' Rollers. Plenty of great music is heading your way!
Then we have the Global Travellers some of whom couldn’t be here tonight, ‘cause they’re…well…global traveling!
And shout out if you’re an Arty Farty. They’re generally trying to sell their art, so maybe steer clear of them!
Then of course, there’s my gorgeous daughter Charlotte, hubby Rob, sons, Sam, Isaac and Ash, and girlfriends, family and friends. All of those people you’ve known forever who accept you, warts and all!
Then there’s the people who are elderly… I say SOME PEOPLE ARE ELDERLY! They can’t hear me, can they?? Actually, it’s my 70th, so MOST people are elderly.
But there’s a few youngsters here too and they’re people who think they’ll NEVER be elderly! But it’s coming….and faster than they think!!
And we have people who love all types of music.
And a shout out from the people with partners. Maybe you’ll find someone better here tonight?
And lastly, people who are on the hunt for a partner. Rich pickings here tonight. And because a lot of those pickings are elderly, they don’t move too fast, so they can generally be caught pretty easily!
So, that’s about it. Mingle and mix. Or stay in your group. It’s up to you. But do have some fun and a few laughs. Grazing table for now, hot finger foods a little later, cakes, live music, lots and lots of dancing!
And now it’s over to Zoltan for his first set. Have fun!
Rob’s Speech
RL: The snaps below show Kate’s reaction as I delivered my speech.
My name’s Rob Landsberry, and I’m proud to say that Kate [the guest of honour], is my sister.
First of all I’d like you to raise your hand if you or something you do, has NOT been described by Kate as AMAZING.
Right – well I have NO IDEA why you people are even here. The fact is that Kate ONLY knows AMAZING people who’ve done AMAZING things. I myself only qualified as a guest tonight because I taught myself brain surgery while learning the piano – I know what you’re thinking…THAT’S AMAZING!!!
And it is!! I know because Kate told me.
In fact, it’s AMAZING to me just how many people Kate knows or meets who are simply AMAZING.
“I met this guy today”, she’ll say “He plays the bazooki and paints using his own bodily fluids…he’s AMAZING”.
Or “This plumber doesn’t just INSTALL taps, he hand-crafts them out of navel lint…It’s AMAZING”.
But I’ll tell you what REALLY IS AMAZING. And that’s what one 70-year-old can pack into a single life.
Now, bear in mind that Kate has the same 24 hours a day as all of us, and just like us she only has 7 days a week. But here’s a list of what Kate’s doing across her 168 hours every week.
First of all, she has her art. Now, I don’t pretend to understand it all – I liked it when she drew houses and fruit. I could get my head around that.
She’s at University completing her Fine Arts Degree – and running up a HECS debt that will probably never get repaid. And sure, she could have gone part time, but that’s for wimpy people. For Kate it’s full time with Distinctions as an ABSOLUTE minimum. If she drops to a Credit, there will be tears…many tears. As a Catholic, although lapsed, a single Credit could well lead to a little cheeky self-flagellation.
Kate’s writing a book. I don’t know much about it – it’s a secret. But apparently, I’m in it, so it’s bound to be a cracker. She’s working on getting it down from 140,000 words to about 70,000. And that’s no mean feat!
Kate belongs to a social group, or the ‘Munch Club’, as some call it. Shout out if you’re a part of this group. She’s told me about you all – and it’s AMAZING just how AMAZING you are! And Kate heads out with these guys for dinner every Tuesday, and to live bands and other activities during most weeks.
She’s taking lessons in rock and roll dancing. Dodgy ankles be damned!
She ten pin bowls every week. Sometimes she even hits the pins – or skittles as she likes to call them…cute!
She does a sunrise walk every morning, as her fabulous photos will attest. And it’s FUCKEN cold out there at sunrise!!! Or so I’ve been told!
She helps out her daughter Charlotte and Char’s family whenever she can.
She even manages to squeeze in a few hours’ sleep most nights. And there’s more…much more.
And all the while she battles - pretty much silently - with an eye watering array of health and auto immune issues which have been a part of her life for decades.
Who of us packs that much into their 168 hours a week?
Four years ago I wrote a birthday email to Kate. I’ve updated it for today, and I’d like to end by reading it. It goes like this…
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MY SISTER
My sister has a birthday today.
My sister says you can’t make money from art.
But what you can make are works that people hang on their walls. That they treasure.
That they see on Facebook, and that light up their day with humour and creativity.
And what you CAN make are lifelong artistic friends who share your passion.
And new connections with like‑minded people wherever you go.
My sister says you can’t make money out of writing.
Maybe so – but my sister’s upcoming book may prove different.
Either way, what you can do is make new relationships with folk who understand and love the power of the written word.
And you can preserve memories, share experiences and honour the most important people in your life.
My sister says that helping the poor and desperate to find a job is hard to do, and that the returns for assisting with their resumés are low.
But what’s REALLY hard to do, is to find a job when you don’t even know where to start.
And the real returns aren’t financial. They come in the look on the faces of those people you’ve helped to find something that transcends mere employment. To find a new purpose and a new dignity.
My sister says that buying a ramshackle old house on 5 acres of land was always a dream, but maybe it made no sense in your mid‑sixties.
But what does make sense is pursuing your dreams, no matter whether your 8 or 98, and everything in between.
And taking ‘ramshackle’ and turning it into ‘home’.
And feeling your own land between your fingers as you plant your next batch of veges.
My sister says that she sometimes feels she hasn’t made enough of her life. That she hasn’t got enough qualifications. Or enough money.
But what is ‘enough’? Enough is when you have a roof over your head and food on the table. And when you have time to spend leaving a positive imprint on the lives of those you love, and who love you.
So, it’s not about money. And it’s not about qualifications. And it’s not about being able to accumulate.
My sister IS what it’s about.
She proves that a life that touches, inspires, empathises, contributes, assists, comforts and creates, is beyond monetary value.
Those who are different become those who make a difference.
Those who take the road less travelled, find the going is tough. But they’re the ones who unearth and experience the rare and undiscovered.
My sister is loved and loving. In fact – she’s AMAZING!!!!
Happy birthday to my sister, Kate.
With love from your brother, Rob
Written by Rob Landsberry and Kate Landsberry with photos primarily by David Benson, last updated 21 September 2024