The multi-talented Natalie Bassingthwaighte hopes to be half the mum her mother and grandmother have been, she tells Lucy Chesterton.
Natalie Bassingthwaighte already has many tender memories of Mother’s Day, but this year she has an extra reason to celebrate – she is about to become a mum herself.
“It’s almost like my own first Mother’s Day,” she laughs as three generations of Bassingthwaighte women gather at a Sydney hotel where they immediately start swapping fresh family news, punctuated by bursts of hearty laughter.
“When I become a mum I want to have the same approach as my own parents, who are loving, supportive and always encouraging creativity,” says Natalie, who’s currently appearing on our screens in Underbelly 3: The Golden Mile.
“My family means the world to me. It’s nice to grow up in such a loving and supportive place, where you feel like anything is possible.
“We are always there for each other, no matter what.”
Within half an hour, the luxurious surroundings seem as cosy as if we’ve gathered in the Bassingthwaighte’s own family home, and as Nat’s mum, Betty, watches her daughter try on a rainbow of gorgeous dresses, it’s clear she couldn’t be prouder.
“I was mum to four wonderful daughters, and while there was a lot of fighting over who was wearing whose clothes, there were many more moments of incredible loyalty and love that I treasure,” says Betty, 57, whose twinkling eyes have been inherited by her photogenic daughter.
“Natalie was a very fussy eater when she was little and she slept all day and played all night long!”
Now Betty’s daughters, Melinda, 35, Natalie, 34, and 28-year-old twins Nicky and Lisa are all grown up, Betty is happy to sit back and enjoy everything her daughters have achieved, including careers in writing and teaching for Nicky, and careers in accounting and beauty therapy for Lisa and Melinda, respectively.
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale May 3, 2010.
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