‘She became a mother figure to me’: Matty Mills on working with Catherine Martin

Matty Mills is a TV presenter best known for being a reporter on Getaway. The 27-year-old opens up about his difficult relationship with his mother growing up, the shock discovery about his father, and being executive assistant to Baz Luhrmann for Elvis.

“The beautiful thing about Aboriginal culture is the acceptance of people who may be queer, non-binary or trans.”

I was very close to Sheryl, my maternal grandmother. She was a manager for Bonds clothing in Sydney. I admired her kindness, but also her fashion.

She was inspired by Princess Diana and had a similar haircut. She wore a purple sparkly head-to-toe gown to her daughter’s wedding. My nan was a woman who turned heads.

I spent a lot of time with her in 2021, the last year of her life. I took her to doctor’s appointments and sat at her bedside. When she passed away from cancer, she was as beautiful to me as she was when I was a little kid.

Growing up, I had quite a difficult relationship with my mother, Joanne, due to her battle with alcoholism and drug abuse. Back then I played the roles of mum and dad to my three siblings. I remember taking Mum’s debit card before she got paid and going to Franklins to do the shopping. I knew if I didn’t do that, it wouldn’t get done. The women at the checkout thought I was crazy, as I was seven years old.

I removed judgment as I got older and created a new lens for our relationship. Mum experienced domestic violence as a kid and as an adult, which led to her downfall in life. I still have a relationship with her, but it’s a difficult one.

The thing I get most from Mum is her strength. She has the ability to be strong, confident and direct. I admire that in her, as at times I need to draw on that.

As a young kid, I’d been told that my Aboriginal dad, Richard, was dead. But when my brothers and I were taken into foster care due to neglect, the social worker couldn’t find a death certificate. They later discovered he was alive.

I went to live with Dad in Tamworth [in northern NSW] when I was 11. Meeting him for the first time didn’t feel real, but we built a strong relationship quickly. Dad had a girlfriend and three kids but the pressure of our presence caused his family to fall apart.

I connected with my culture and heritage through Dad. I learnt about Aboriginal women being the matriarchs and leaders of the clans. Meeting my five aunties, I learnt that these women are opinionated and strong-willed, but most of all they are the carers of the family and they take charge in the community.

I was a very strong-minded teenager, always thinking about how to do things that felt impossible. Then in Tamworth I met Philippa [Pip] Powell, who became an amazing friend and mentor. When I was 14, she helped me to write a letter to Shore, a private boarding school in Sydney. It secured me a scholarship as its only Indigenous student. Pip took me to the entrance interview, then paid my rent when I moved to Perth to go to university. Without her, many of my achievements would have been close to impossible.

I was about 17 when I realised I wasn’t romantically attracted to girls, but my first love was a beautiful girl called Hannah. That was something that needed to happen for me. I feel grateful that I had that teenage experience before being comfortable enough to come out.

The beautiful thing about Aboriginal culture is the acceptance of people who may be queer, non-binary or trans. It goes back to talk of two-spirit people: people who have the power of two in them.

I’ve been with my partner, Paul, a paramedic, for five years. Paul is selfless and empathetic, and so supportive of my dreams. He’s a huge inspiration to me.

In 2020, I was Baz Luhrmann’s executive assistant on his latest film, Elvis, as he wanted an Indigenous person to help run his affairs. His wife, Catherine Martin, was the film’s designer and producer. She is incredibly gifted and has this ability to bring ideas to life. She also possesses a great sensitivity around art.

Catherine and Baz work together collaboratively, and I got to see that dynamic. Catherine also became a bit of a mother figure to me. Beyond the filming, she’s also a great friend.

Getaway screens Saturdays at 5.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

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