Farewell and thank you, Victoria

A conversation with Victoria

Victoria’s path to law was anything but traditional. “I left school at 15. Didn’t have VCE or anything. Worked in pubs, behind the bar, as a waitress, on the checkout at Safeway for 10 years,” she recalled. “I got to my mid-30s and I thought, you know what, I can’t do this anymore.”

That turning point led her to Holmesglen TAFE, where she completed her VCE. “I had a really amazing teacher … she encouraged me to try and get into uni.” Despite juggling a child, work, and health challenges, Victoria applied to both Monash and Deakin Universities. “The day I had to go and sit the mature age entry, my car broke down… I had to hitchhike to Monash.”

She got in, and thrived. “I got second highest mark in first-year sociology. That gave me a credit… and I transferred into law.”

“I didn’t know any lawyers. I come from a working class background. But I liked the idea of problem-solving and working with people.”

CLC career

Following graduation, Victoria joined what is now known as Peninsula Community Legal Centre, where she would spend 22 years – 18 of them as Principal Lawyer. “There was no template in those days… You made the job up as you went along,” she said. “Some of what we made up back in the day is still in place now.”

Her leadership helped the centre grow from a small team in a converted garage to one of the largest CLCs in the state.

In 2017, Victoria joined St Kilda Legal Service (now Southside Justice) as a family violence lawyer. “I’ve always had an interest in family violence and family law,” she said. “When I first started, the police would only go out to a family violence matter if somebody was being murdered… Now it’s a major part of police work and CLC work.”

She’s seen the sector evolve dramatically. “It was only during my career that the Family Court accepted that family violence was part of their work – now it’s 85% of the matters they deal with.”

Victoria reflects that working in a CLC is often not about big case wins, but about the everyday victories. “CLC life is often not really like that. You’ll have a lot of small successes along the way,” she said. “Helping people to resolve their issues and take back some control over their life – that’s the really good part of the job.”

She credits her longevity in the sector to shared values and strong relationships with colleagues. “The people I worked with… had a real determination to make people’s lives better,” she said. “And the clients… they are what brings you into work.”

To young lawyers, Victoria offers this: “At the end of the day, you’ve got to sleep at night. I personally would find it difficult to spend my working days making more money for people who already have lots of money.”

She encourages new lawyers to be honest about their values. “If you want to have a career that you feel good about, then you’ve got to be honest with yourself about how you see the role of the law and what your role is within that.”

And for those staying in the sector long-term: “Look after your mental health… Don’t take your work home with you. Have another life outside of work. Do other things. Get exercise. Eat well. Don’t drink too much.”

Life after work

Victoria is looking forward to embracing retirement with art classes, travel, and time with friends and family. “I’ve just signed up for art classes… I enjoy repurposing furniture, gardening, and spending time with my daughter.”

As she reflects on her career, she leaves with gratitude: “Thanks to all the people I’ve worked with… they’ve been the thing that gets you up every morning and gives you purpose.”