COMMUNITY NEWS COMMUNITY NEWS Emma & Tom’s: Where taste A musical life Deborah Conway (1977) and design After graduating from Lauriston, Deborah attended the University of combine Melbourne, where she balanced study with modelling and singing. Emma Welsh (1983) She appeared in advertisements for Emma graduated from Lauriston Bluegrass jeans, Big M, and Crunchie. with a burning desire to establish her At the age of eighteen, while at own business. Her determination and university, she started playing guitar. commitment would ultimately see In 1979, Deborah joined the band The the birth of fruit juice brand Emma & Benders as a vocalist and songwriter. Tom’s – now a household name across Australia. In 1981, Deborah moved to Sydney and joined the band Do Ré Mi; in After Lauriston, Emma completed 1985, Do Ré Mi released the iconic a Bachelor of Agricultural Science ‘Man Overboard’, from their debut degree at the University of Melbourne. album, Domestic Harmony. The song She felt that this broad degree would was radically different from those allow her to study subjects that would usually heard on radio playlists, but be useful to an aspiring entrepreneur. went to the top of the charts. Emma then spent time in the In 1986, Deborah and Do Ré Mi corporate world, working for Cargill, relocated to the UK. Their second Mars, L.E.K. Consulting, and National album, The Happiest Place in Town Australia Bank. Having her own (1988), was well received, but by business remained her dream late 1988 the band had dispersed. and she continued to build on her to sample the product. Tom and also made from recycled product Deborah remained in the UK, working entrepreneurial skills, obtaining an Emma’s approach meant that they (e.g. Most of their cartons are made on various projects – from singing MBA from INSEAD in France. had a direct interface with potential from recycled cardboard). They have on Pete Townshend’s The Iron Man Deborah and Willy recently launched at Paul Grabowsky’s invitation, an customers, and opportunity to build also worked with Sustainability Victoria to acting and singing in Peter their eighth studio record together – evening of Conway and Zygier While working in the UK, Emma met up brand association. on a project to use recycle plastic in Greenaway’s filmProspero’s Books, Stories of Ghosts. compositions at the Melbourne with long-time friend Tom Griffith. Tom their bottles, to be launched soon! scored by Michael Nyman. Concert Hall; performing in Andrée had been skiing in North America and Launched in 2004, Emma & Tom’s now Deborah has been recognised as Greenwell’s Dreaming Transportation; had noticed that local café fridges sells its range of minimally processed When asked if she has advice for Deborah also continued writing and an innovator and as a generator of writing and recording with classical were stocked full of natural, whole whole fruit juices, Quenchers, sparkling people looking to start their own in 1990 returned to Australia with an unique ways of presenting music. From composer George Dreyfus; recording fruit smoothies. The drinks offered a juices and Life Bars into more than venture, Emma says, ‘Running album’s-worth of new material. Her 2008 to 2011, she was Artistic Director with Brisbane band george; and health advantage but no artificial two thousand premium independent a business is hard for anyone, debut solo album, String of Pearls of the Queensland Music Festival – the performing in Half the Sky concerts to colours, flavours or preservatives, or cafés and delis, as well as to major irrespective of gender, so to succeed (1991), featured the songs ‘It’s Only first woman to direct this statewide mark International Women’s Day. concentrates. Tom knew that there was grocery retailers, throughout Australia. you need to have confidence, tenacity the Beginning’, ‘Release Me’, and the biennial celebration of music, which, nothing like these drinks in Australia, and passion’. bittersweet title track, which saw her in its geographic reach, is the largest Deborah is currently touring, following The brand philosophy of Emma & so he called Emma, and the idea for win the Best Female Artist ARIA Award music festival in the world. the release of Stories of Ghosts. For Tom’s, ‘Look After Yourself’, is central Having her own business has allowed Emma & Tom’s was born. in 1992. information, visit www.deborahconway. both to the company and to the Emma – mother to Alexander,7 – In 2005, Deborah and Willy launched com. ‘We had enormous confidence. We corporate social responsibility work it the freedom to choose where she The release of the String of Pearls Broad, a project that brought used our own accumulated savings undertakes. Each year, Emma & Tom’s dedicates her time. She encourages album was accompanied by an diverse female singer-songwriters to pursue our dream. After a year donates more than $100,000 worth other women to consider having their extensive national tour with the band together in performance. Broad of research, looking at what was of juice and Life Bars to community own businesses for this reason. The Mothers of Pearl, in which Willy presented established names, available in other countries and groups, fundraising events, and Zygier played guitar. This was the such as Katie Noonan and the late, Emma & Tom’s has recently launched making juice in my kitchen, we had charities such as Peter MacCallum start of a successful songwriting and great Ruby Hunter, and introduced 1L Quencher with Benefits tetra packs a product that tasted fantastic, and Cancer Centre, SecondBite, Prahran personal collaboration for Deborah emerging artists like Mia Dyson, Kate in Woolworth’s supermarkets. These packaging that looked good and Mission and the St Kilda Mission. and Willy, which has resulted (so far) Miller-Heidke, Clare Bowditch, Liz Quenchers feature stevia leaf extract appealed to the consumer,’ says in eight records and three children. Stringer and Sally Seltmann. A strong commitment to sustainability and other botanicals ‘to ensure a Emma. Deborah and Willy married in 2007. is evident in the unique packaging naturally low calorie healthy drink Deborah’s achievements include Emma and Tom started walking the methods that Emma & Tom’s has made from minimally processed whole In May 2010, Deborah and Willy writing for, and appearing alongside pavements, presenting shops with adopted for its products, all packaging fruit juices to quench your thirst’ and of launched Half Man Half Woman, Toni Collette in, Geoffrey Rush’s a six-pack of juice and asking them is recyclable and where possible it is course they taste delicious! which includes a song sung by their Belvoir St Theatre production of Suzy Davis (1976, Moir) and Deborah Conway in three daughters. Aristophanes’s The Frogs; presenting, costume for the 1976 school play Bonaventure. 22 23.