What is the Question – November – Brett Macdonald

What is your name?

Brett Macdonald (please spell my surname right Roland!)

 

What is your occupation?

Broadcaster – radio 3BA

 

What brought you to Ballarat?

Broadcasting! Garry West who was program director at 3BA hired me to do the live midnight to dawn shift on 3BA back in 1989. I made the trip across Bass Strait from 7BU Burnie which was my first gig in radio.

 

What is your favourite spot in the city?

It would be easy to say Lake Wendouree, or the magnificent boulevard that is Sturt Street, but I’m going to choose the gardens at Kirk’s Reservoir Park. We had some family photos taken. It’s a gorgeous spot.

Our balcony at home with a view of the Lake from Ballarat North is a pretty nice spot, too.

 

What is your earliest memory?

Mum flew me to London when I was very little, maybe five or six. I have vague memories of stepping onto the tarmac for the first time. I must admit my memory is not great. If I don’t write it down it doesn’t happen.

 

What do you like to cook?

We’ve got a great homemade muesli bar recipe that leaves the shop-bought ones for dead. You combine oats, honey, some sugar and butter with a heap of different grains and seeds and bake… delicious!

 

What is the most expensive thing you’ve purchased – property aside?

This year’s pandemic puppy. She’s cute, playful, destructive and expensive – all in one.

 

What building would you choose to be?

I love the mix of the beautifully restored heritage homes in central Ballarat that are given a new lease with the modern renovation out the back. Those homes offer the best of both worlds to me, and I reckon the integration is clever.

 

What is the greatest love of your life – apart from friends and family?

I returned to the radio at the start of this year after an absence of many years. I love the creativity and responsibility that comes with hosting Ballarat Today. It’s a great privilege.

 

What or who inspires you?

Ballarat business owners who’ve looked coronavirus head-on and said, “You’re not going to beat me”. Brave stuff; and 3BA listeners. They always have the answers. Seriously, if you don’t know something just ask the question on radio and you get the answer.

 

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Cabarita Beach in northern NSW – 15-minutes from Gold Coast airport and still pretty sleepy. In Victoria, Torquay and the Surf Coast for me.

 

What music and television do you like?

Music – Van Morrison or Dire Straits any day. TV has to be mainly English comedy; maybe some Black Adder or even The Young Ones. The late Rik Mayall was a genius.

 

What is your favourite quote?

Belinda Fyffe from the Ballarat School of Philosophy said on the show, ‘It is what it is’. A handy quote during a pandemic, I believe.

 

What technological/scientific development boggles your mind?

Siri is still pretty clever, but don’t get me started on Alexa. Simply, we don’t get along.

 

What was your first job?

Dad had a ride on mower and all the neighbours had acreages so, as a teenager, I started a mowing business. I made some cash but I don’t think dad enjoyed following me around with the tool box.

 

What did you want to be when you were growing-up?

A DJ! It won’t surprise you to know that I had a studio-of-sorts set up in my bedroom to broadcast to precisely nobody!

 

What is the best parenting advice you could give?

Some may not agree, but we adopted the motto of ‘do whatever is easiest’. There’s so many rules when you are a new parent that at times it’s good to give yourself a break and go with the flow. Our three girls turned-out to be very nice young ladies.

 

What is your most embarrassing parenting moment?

We were at Movie World when the kids were little. Before the show, I was parking the pram in the special parking bay. The trouble was, I parked the pram, and baby. I walked-off without her. It only happened the once, and is mentioned, regularly, to this day!

 

What is the funniest thing you remember one of your kids saying, or doing?

We decided to keep a book of the funny things they said when they were little. We still drag it out today for a few laughs. It includes clangers like:

“Mum, are there anymore DVD Snacks” Actually, they are ‘TV Snacks’.

“Mum, I want… I want… I want… Can you tell me what I want?”

 

What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a parent?

As they get older I think it’s juggling the responsibilities and importance of being a parent with being their friend, too.