My neighbour Dee just turned 96. I have lived in the same apartment building as her since 1998, and have never seen her wear the same outfit twice. The longest inhabitant of the building, she moved here in 1980, after arriving in Sydney from South Africa via London in 1964.
Dee’s entire apartment serves as a wardrobe, packed with clothes, jewellery, shoes, hats and assorted accessories. Credit: Courtesy of Dee Webb
Our block of 12 is at Cremorne Point, Sydney, where the six front-facing apartments look straight at the harbour. The whole building is owned by one family, who prefer not to spend too much on maintenance. But far more importantly, they have kept the rents relatively low, a true Sydney miracle.
Hence we are still here, the second-longest inhabitants of the building. And hence, as an older single woman of minimal means, Dee still has a place to live. Dee has no direct family, no husband, children or relatives, but she has forged a family here, a network of neighbours as solid as the building’s orange 1950s bricks.
When you move in, Dee is usually the first person you meet. Her door is open from the time she wakes up to when she goes to bed. At first sight, catching a glimpse inside, you might assume she is a hoarder. One tradie thought it was a strange shop. Every inch is covered in stuff – art, posters, DVDs, books, fridge magnets, cushions, dolls and a plethora of knick-knackery. Her entire apartment serves as a wardrobe, packed with clothes, jewellery, shoes, hats and assorted accessories, but don’t get the wrong idea. As Dee will tell you, she’s a collector, not a hoarder. She knows exactly where everything is.
Dee also loves the arts, particularly theatre and musicals. A few days after we moved in, she stopped my husband on the stairs, brandishing a program. “Look! I thought I knew you.” It was from a show he had performed in Perth years before with his British theatre company. I doubt anyone else in Australia would have kept one. It felt like an auspicious start.
Dee is all about dressing up – way, WAY up – particularly relishing a theme. Credit: Courtesy of Dee Webb
When I say I’ve never seen her in the same outfit, I’m not talking your average sartorial standards. Dee is all about dressing up – way, WAY up – particularly relishing a theme. Whether it’s Easter or Anzac Day, Mardi Gras or Melbourne Cup, she puts together an incredible, often colour-coordinated ensemble with an innate sense of style and dramatic panache. It’s an art, and she is artist and artwork. Even when she’s tending the rock garden in front of our building, watering or weeding, chatting to anyone who passes, there’s a look going on.
She has also been an invaluable resource over the years, saving us a fortune in fancy dress hire. Need an outfit? Head down to No 3. Ken and Barbie 50th Party? No problem. Dressing up like Kate Bush for The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever? Easy-peasy. Fifties-style hat and handbag for my husband’s opening night of The Odd Couple in Melbourne? So many options.
In finding a family for herself, Dee has created a community for us all. Everyone knows Dee, not just us but in the neighbourhood, and Dee connects everyone else. Our 16-year-old son has grown up with this extended family watching over him, seeing his first steps, first day of school, first football moves, first broken arm, first girlfriend.
