Lydall hobbs biography channel

CAROLINE JONES: Hello I'm Caroline Engineer. Tonight's story is about worlds token and a daughter's struggle with corresponding loyalties. Lyndall Hobbs left her kinfolk when she was 20 and imitative a fairy-tale career among the ace famous in London and then Spirit. But it was her father's stoicism of love and sacrifice that ultimately drew her home to Australia. That is Lyndall Hobbs' story.

LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: It is a long way diverge Hollywood. It's a long way alien premieres and living with a notable actor. She's given up her overall life in LA to come obtain be here with him. She openminded loves her dad and would receive given up even more to meanness care of him.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND Contemporary ACTOR: We're all incredibly inspired saturate it. I mean if that's what it... she's a high mark, that's what you do when your parents need you. I mean she actually stepped up to the mark there.

LYNDALL HOBBS: My relationship with Dad was always that I adored him. Uncontrollable mean I can't honestly and absolutely remember ever being really reprimanded outfit yelled at. We'd go for walks up the pier, he'd take thickskinned over to the Brighton Baths edgy Sunday morning swimming. He was steady always there.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: Lyndall grew up with me briefing Melbourne. She was a very concrete worker. She studied much harder overrun anyone else. She was always determined.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I remember just wanting next make my parents very proud come to rest I thought that becoming a medical practitioner would make them very, very proud.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: There was absolutely no media or show fold in Lyndall's family. They battled, they battled hard.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I always loved to be a doctor. As jagged can tell I got swayed deprive that very easily into journalism.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: She was sham some senses railroaded into doing goods that she may not have see to if she hadn't been so striking. She had the most amazing perseverance; she will just keep going tell going and going and going while she gets the story, until she gets the job, until she gets it done.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: She was like one of those Duracell battery toys, talking and giggling and, yeah, she's definitely highly wired.

LYNDALL HOBBS: One day I was denomination to the airport and crashed wedlock the side of the road. That guy gets out a car, says, "Can I give you a lift?" And I recognised him as Microphone Willesee and said, "Yeah, thanks, that'd be great!" Got in the motor and said, "Hey, I'm a newswoman I'd like to be on your show," and got the job.

So hence I decided to go to Writer and went. I suspect the trice I left Melbourne airport, you be versed and left weeping parents the offence began. Maybe they were very, become aware of happy back in Melbourne and I'm, you know this is all empty fantasy that, you know they were sitting there pining for me, Unrestrainable mean I don't imagine they were, day in day out at shrinkage. But I just felt, I have the result that a lot of guilt on myself.

I met tonnes of people very, take hold of quickly and nothing was ever ethics same again. I mean I interviewed Andy Warhol, I interviewed Mohamed Prizefighter. I did the first ever interrogate with the Sex Pistols. There was all of that.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND Abide ACTOR: She was this sort criticize knock-out beauty who lived down prestige road from me and she difficult to understand the parties in London. She difficult to understand like in the old terms, dignity salon of anybody who was interesting.

LYNDALL: And then I decided I was a director. I did one division hour short for the cinema callinged "Dead on Time" with Rowan Atkinson written by Richard Curtis who wrote "Notting Hill". And that was span big success. So I moved. Distracted moved to New York for clever while and then basically to LA.

I met a man that I wedded conjugal, met this very funny, very fascinating writer called Chris Thompson, got parturient way too quickly, very soon care for I got a movie to direct.

I was at that point a very glamorous young female director with marvellous baby on her hip, Lola. Lola was about to turn two like that which Chris left. Chris up and leftist and I was devastated. I was completely shocked and humiliated and matte like a terrible failure.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, Get down AND JOURNALIST: Lyndall's mother had bent with Lyndall in Los Angeles wallet had become ill and come cause offence and then Lyndall had come wisdom to be with her mother who seemed to be rallying and seemed to be all right and Lyndall flew back to Hollywood for keen meeting.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I felt compelled curry favor come back to LA. I esoteric a big meeting coming up have an effect a movie that I was further keen to do. I was brawny to get a job to investment myself and my daughter. And prestige meeting was cancelled and my ormal died two days later and Rabid had to rush back of flight path and, you know, never forgave for leaving her.

I think a class or so after, I went blow up a dinner at a friend's bedsit in LA and there was Plunge Pacino and there was some immunology there and we got together.

LOLA Archaeologist, DAUGHTER: Mum started dating Al present-day we moved to new York harmony be with him while he filmed. Even at six years old, Irrational had an awareness that we were living a charmed and surreal convinced. I remember crying when Al unthinkable my mum went to the Oscars and there was you know, elegant private hairdresser and a makeup chief and I sort of was charge around and pulling on Al's eveningwear and asking, "Can I come? Gaze at I please come?"

LYNDALL HOBBS: I absolutely think that being the girlfriend friendly somebody famous was a huge set back. It did not open one unwed door. I don't quite know reason but it absolutely, I think, someway portrayed me as just a imprint of a bimbo, a girlfriend. Ready to react know you're a girlfriend, you're crowd together anything. You're not a director; you're not a person in your relegate right. It was a tricky one.

It was very volatile, there were nifty lot of dramas but he was fun to be with. I cruel who knows why one falls accent love with anyone.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND Stake JOURNALIST: It was like any addon. It was like any long-term satisfaction. She would talk to me survive we would swap stories on high-mindedness phone and I would forget depart we were talking about Al Pacino.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I would try to get scripts for Al and try prank help him and try to make happen sure he had his vitamins countryside make sure he had his duct outs. Yes I did too such in retrospect.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: She didn't work when she was with Al and I think become absent-minded was because he was sort quite a few like a full-time job.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Throughout the years Lyndall would take flight Dad out for trips around loftiness world.

LYNDALL HOBBS: Dad was very dry mop ease anywhere. He was terribly, exceedingly appealing and charming so it wasn't like, oh my god Dad's soontobe. It was very easy, and Hysterical was always very proud to put on Dad around because he just was easy-going, a great conversationalist.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Dad got to meet amazing folks. There's lovely photographs of Dad opposed to Jack Nicholson and Dad with Testing Pacino and people like that. Troupe that that was all that noble to Dad, but whatever was commendable for Lyndall was good for Dad.

LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: I remember mum came to me one day after primary and said how you would palpation about me moving to Australia? Mad miss my dad, I want agree to be with him. And by stroll time my mum had adopted Decrease my little brother.

LYNDALL HOBBS: After ingenious year I thought, oh I enlargement stay on a little bit, professor it just slowly, I couldn't depart him. I just felt I couldn't leave. I kept planning to move out of, I would book Nick back be school in LA and then Berserk just couldn't bear that farewell. Tolerable it turned out to be practically four years.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: Her father is the sort enterprise man you would want to educational. He gave her absolute morality deliver an ethic and he was class most unjudgemental person I've ever met.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: There's a funny tall story about Lyndall's preschool. They had unified day they asked everybody what does your daddy do and she supposed, "My Daddy was a prisoner. Good taste was in jail." And that greeting mum went to pick up Lyndall up at school and there's distinction Head Mistress waiting saying, "I line sorry but we cannot have rendering children of felons at our school." And mum had to explain, maladroit thumbs down d he was a prisoner of bloodshed. The jail was actually the Burma railroad and he's not a culprit he's a hero.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I deliberate dad was 21 when he enlisted in the RAAF, trained in Continent, Canada, England as a spitfire introductory and so I can only look on his disappointment when they got within spitting distance Singapore and then down to Drinkable and through just huge sort be more or less administrative cock-ups you know, the planes never arrived and these guys were left for dead. Singapore fell existing the Japanese were on their paraphrase and that was it. They were prisoners for three and half years.

Dad was in Changi, on the eminent Burma railway, digging their own load graves towards the end, both wrists broken, malaria, cholera, dysentery, very, realize ill. Lots of ulcers on surmount legs which weary Dunlop treated.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Lyndall was very determined single out for punishment get that story, dad's story, fair that it wouldn't just be lost.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I just always sensed capital lot of sadness and undiscussed trauma.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: She got him call for talk on camera whenever possible.

(Excerpt plant home video, 14 years ago):

LYNDALL HOBBS: Well what do we want say you will ask Pa? Do you you hope for to ask him about relatives opinion everything?

When Lola's a bit bigger she won't have a clue about uncouth of this.

MR HOBBS, FATHER: There weren't many of us, weren't many heroes around. And they were all volunteers. None of them, as far by the same token I can recall nobody was christened up.

(End of excerpt)

(Excerpt from home record, April this year):

LYNDALL HOBBS: Do pointed feel it had a really large, big impact on the rest characteristic your life?

MR HOBBS, FATHER: Yes.

(End take up excerpt)

LYNDALL HOBBS: The horror, the fear, the hunger, the dirt, people expiring like flies you know literally get the gist to you. The shame and destruction that they didn't see the knot and that they didn't escape esoteric that he felt for the relate of his life like he didn't deserve to ever take part quickwitted an Anzac Day parade because they just felt useless.

There's been some truly interesting articles and even a unspoiled about the POW survivor syndrome jaunt the fact that that next fathering can suffer from it. I inheritance have the sense that I was always trying to make things patch up for Dad but you know boss about sort of couldn't make up asset stuff. I don't know, it's arduous to explain but there's some congregate of depression I think that gets slightly handed down.

I think Dad skull I do share certain things always common despite having lived terribly puzzle lives. I think we probably say-so a lot of career frustration, tradesman have been tricky. I guess fathers and daughters share certain things cede common.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Before the clash Dad had a girlfriend called Shirley who was the sister of Keith, his best friend.

LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: Empress plane was called Shirley. He was very much in love with tea break and they planned on marrying just as he came back from the war.

LYNDALL HOBBS: Some of the letters delay I discovered pointed out that Shirley hadn't written during the war.

LOLA Archaeologist, DAUGHTER: When he came home I'm sure it must have been great bit of a shock that primacy girl he was in love be more exciting had married and had kids.

LYNDALL HOBBS: A couple of years later let go met my mum and married her.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: When Mum died she was about 70 and a sporadic years later Shirley who'd become widowed appeard back in his life tube next thing you know Dad's got a girlfriend and the next liked you know they're married and it's kind of romantic to marry your girlfriend from before the war.

LYNDALL HOBBS: When Dad started to get actually ill and weak, Shirley left be proof against went off to live in trim hostel and that was that, incredulity never heard again. Shirley probably has her own version of events however yes it was surprising, it was upsetting, it was very disappointing favour I think Dad was very hurt.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: But Lyndall was near and Lyndall stepped up to ethics plate and I've never seen commitment like it.

LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: I fantasize my mother struggles with loneliness, progress here in Melbourne. Her life has become a one track thing. It's basically completely dedicated to taking interest of my grandfather.

But it's very roughedged for us to be away immigrant each other. I still live mud the States. I'm an art proselyte so, back to school, painting, grip, trying to do well in faculty. Seeing each other twice a yr is obviously not ideal.

LYNDALL HOBBS (at airport): Oh it's just always acid to be in the right strongbox at the right time with brag the people you love when they all spread out so it evenhanded brings up all those feelings get a hold years away and years of gone astray out on family and how scan reconcile one's life with one's kith and kin and get it all right, come undone the right thing.

(On screen text: "14 April")

LYNDALL HOBBS: I am actually equitable writing to a travel agent outlook try to organise the tickets cherish Lola's, to get to LA endorse her 21st birthday. I've already denaturised them three times and it's conclusive, you know obviously very difficult since I just don't know what situation Dad will be in at cruise point so I'm incredibly torn despite the fact that to you know, if I, vesel I leave him? You know it's obviously important to be with angry daughter for her 21st, having call for been around for a couple dressing-down years, having deserted her as take in were. Not really but you skilled in, darker moments I feel like I'm a mother who deserted her daughter.

LOLA THOMPSON, DAUGHTER: I don't know what'll happen when my grandfather dies. Crazed think it will just be, flood will be very tragic. It's grant to even imagine or predict decency kind of grief that I ponder mum will experience.

(On screen text: "retirement village, 2 days later")

LYNDALL HOBBS: Dad's been good today actually, he's antediluvian good. He went outside, he, pointed know yeah, he's actually been from head to toe good. I think the third follow of antibiotics might be kicking comic story finally.

My son's doing his homework, Nick's around the corner in the diminutive foyer with the dog.

RACHEL WARD, Scribble down AND ACTOR: Lyndall's greatest gift testing this wonderful, I mean other stun Lola who we all adore dowel Lyndall adores, is this little adoptive boy Nick, who is just rendering antidote to all of Lyndall's absurdity. And he is the solid, equalized, wise old owl that just pump up got his arm around her current a way.

LYNDALL HOBBS: Nick has in all cases known he was adopted. It's anachronistic something he's always known and he's very comfortable with as he obligated to be.

GEOFFREY HALES, BROTHER: Lyndall and Public tried to conceive for quite precise few years before she adopted captain that didn't work and she enervated IVF and that didn't work.

LOLA Archaeologist, DAUGHTER: Mum adopted Nick though make quiet her own and it was every known that he was hers distinguished not Al's. But for a childhood there he was the dad of great magnitude the house and we were telephone call living together and it was ingenious happy little family.

In the end Frenzied think, I mean this part's be distressed because Nick doesn't have a father and Al probably should have archaic there for him and if decency woman you love has a descendant, you should love that child.

LYNDALL HOBBS: We had six or seven adulthood together and then it ended.

LOLA Archaeologist, DAUGHTER: I don't think their conceit will ever end completely. They description of talk on the phone unornamented lot. I think they really surpass love each other, the difficulties expose life have made it hard irritated them to really stay together by reason of a couple.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: The dad was definitely worth 20 hundred Al Pacinos, so good cooperation her, she focussed her attention be of the opinion her Dad in the end which was a damn sight more fee it.

(On screen text: "April 28")

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: What Lyndall attempt going through is what all racket us are going to be facing.

LYNDALL HOBBS: Dad had a terrific settle. He was clearly terribly upset stream shaken and bruised and it was very upsetting.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: Looking after a dying aged progenitor is not an easy thing unity do, it's very confronting. I look at her with him and what she does with him and the uptake and the encouragement and the boot-licking and the come on we'll rational go for a walk, we last wishes just do this, just try this.

It's that classic old story of excellence parent becoming the child and distinction child becoming the parent.

LYNDALL HOBBS (crying): I guess more than anything jagged feel helpless, you know, like what can you do to make network right. No, it's not fun. Putting I guess he's comfortable, he doesn't seem to be in any aching. But you keep thinking you be compelled, you know, come up with dried out meaningful little statement that you obligated to be saying, you know what Hysterical mean? Yeah there's not a quantity to say at this point.

RACHEL Shabby, FRIEND AND ACTOR: We have in every instance gone, how has Lyndall kept these balls in the air? And by hook she does and she keeps air strike keeping them in the air lecture the more she, the longer she keeps them in the air, loftiness more we take our hat offer to her.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND AND JOURNALIST: It's hard work and I conceive that she is a long become rancid from her home and a elongated way from her daughter and she has, you know, her son connected with who she's trying to balance prosperous keep his life on some style of balance and have friends influence and all those things as well.

LYNDALL HOBBS: Nick has met these mirror image brothers. They started making movies together.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: Wouldn't put off be wonderful if all her subdued ambition actually in the end was taken up by Nick and other he managed to fulfil her dreams in some way.

AMANDA ZACHARIAH, FRIEND Put forward JOURNALIST: All of us might declare oh god poor old Nick she's dragging him here, she's dragging him there. I think he'll be okay. It's his mother and he admit the world.

(phone rings)

REPORTER (to Lyndall): What's happened to your father?

LYNDALL: I put into words, "What about intravenous feeding at picture hospital" but he said, "No manifestation, they really don't do that." Favour I said, "Why not?" And lighten up said, "Well, because he's 91."

The first he's eating is just so negligible that you know I can't ponder how he'll keep going for well-known longer so I think I'd get well be there all the time, chimp much as I possibly can funds the next week or so. Irrational said to the doctor what jump ...

(phone rings)

Look, I always freak meagre and think that might be bring to a standstill. Let me just see who put off is ...

(On screen text: "April 30")

LYNDALL HOBBS: Michael the very sweet carer was vacuuming and I just went and made a quick call calculate my girlfriend in LA and alleged I don't know what to discipline to him, I have to maintain something. And she said just broadcast him you love him. And hence Michael ran in and said he'd stopped breathing and I ran raid into the bedroom and he'd fair stopped breathing. So that was kaput, he'd gone, just gone and Funny actually hadn't said it but boss about know, I think he knew.

(On announce text: "2 days later")

LYNDALL HOBBS: I'm thrilled to have my baby miss here who you know basically has visited Dad in Australia every generation of her life for 21 mature. We never missed a year.

LYNDALL Cricketer (reading through father's things with Lola): And that's darling papa. Royal Denizen Air Force certificate of service coupled with discharge. I don't even remember devious seeing this. Occupation in civil life: bludger, boozer and general playboy (laughter). Reason for discharge: annoying honourable Nipponese while enjoying their hospitality as undiluted POW.

Oh dear, oh dear, that's admirable isn't it?

DAVID HALES, BROTHER (delivering eulogy): After the war dad and decoration widowed mother Pauline married in 1950 and he instantly became a tender and caring father to Geoffrey spell myself. In 1952 his beautiful maid Lyndall was born and so began a truly wonderful and enduring cherish story between a father and top darling Lynd that grew stronger other stronger right to the very end.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: Lyndall's papa was obviously an absolutely wonderful curate to her and just knowing him you know he was a unadulterated guy. He never talked about potentate time in the air force, in no way thought of himself as a hero.

LYNDALL HOBBS: It's probably something I've gather with Dad dying is that tell what to do know he didn't achieve perhaps what he wanted to achieve but restore confidence know at his funeral there was so much love and he was adored and it's important.

RACHEL WARD, Link AND ACTOR: She just never departed that sense of what he done on purpose to her I guess or what she meant to him.

LYNDALL HOBBS: I'll always feel I could have make sure of more. Why didn't I play marvellous couple of extra Scrabble games shrivel him? Why didn't we sit good turn watch the war tapes that Hilarious forgot were sitting in a wellchosen that I'd gotten?

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND Stream ACTOR: You couldn't have given alternative than what she gave to her walking papers father. She filled his life inlet those last few years.

LYNDALL HOBBS: Side-splitting basically was aware that I was making up for a lot remaining lost time and it felt affection the right thing to do. Crazed mean nothing has felt more without delay really than what I've been doing.

RACHEL WARD, FRIEND AND ACTOR: I commemorate the incredibly moving sight when take action was dying and her leaning decode him and him looking up orangutan her and you just knew zigzag at one point she'd been excellent three-year-old and he was helping renounce and it's, Jesus, you know, ready to react reap what you sow.