November 26th, 2022Tonia says ‘I do’ to challenges and projects

TONIA Todman, well-known television personality, queen of craft and
author feels very lucky with the opportunities she has been given over
a long career.
Nonetheless she has never been one to sit back comfortably and reflect on those
past achievements. Tonia continues to strive forward, pushing into new territories,
projects and endeavours even including becoming a marriage celebrant.
New vocation
“I had never really considered it as a vocation before, but I’ve been told often
enough that I would be good at it,” Tonia says. “I’ve never thought that I would be
an expert on marriage, but when I investigated the course which is very concentrated
with a lot of legal studies in it, I thought, ‘this could be fun’. I’ll be learning things
that I didn’t know.”
Tonia has always had a desire to learn, expand her knowledge and pass on
that knowledge wherever possible, be it as a marriage celebrant or embarking on a
horticultural degree.
She knows that maintaining this drive as one advances in years is an important
aspect of ageing well. And Tonia has never been one to stall in the face of adversity including the monumental task of rebuilding her historic Lauriston home after a
devastating fire in 2018.
Challenges
For her, such setbacks are simply another challenge to be addressed and overcome.
From her youth growing up in 1960s Melbourne to forging a career in magazine
publishing and television, she has always been an exception to the norm.
“I’m of an era where women were not expected to have a career. We were always
brought up to be good wives and mothers. To be able to run a home, take our place
in society and bring up children. As I’ve always said there is nothing wrong with that
at all. I was very fortunate that I could combine that and a career that blended very
well with my natural instincts towards home making, fashion, DIY and craft. I have
been very lucky in the work I’ve done.”
Publishing
Tonia’s reflections on her life is now to be the subject of her next book. There is
no publishing date as yet, but as the author of 28 books, the question is not if this
work will see the light of day, but when.
“It is a family history combined with the experiences of my working career. It has
been very interesting recalling a lot of things, looking back over family photos and
resurrecting a few things I had nearly forgotten.”
Of course many people, who fondly remember her regular appearances on
lifestyle shows such as Creative Living, Healthy Wealthy and Wise and Good Morning
Australia, would be very keen to see Tonia back on the screen. Despite disruptions
caused by Covid, there is a new project in the works very close to Tonia’s heart, one
she would dearly like to come to fruition.
Television return
“I would love to get back on television,” she says. “Before Covid I was working on
a program with a working title of Grandma Tonia. It’s me teaching children the basics
of life. Because of the distraction of social media screen time, I think there are an
awful lot of skills that are now not being passed on to children that should be. Things
like growing, building, fixing something or simply being practical.”
16 Our people
Above, television personality and writer Tonia Todman has added marriage
celebrant to her extensive CV.
Words: Tony Sawrey | Image: Contributed