Passionate. While it may seem impossible to describe a life in one word, loved-ones remember Stella Dougherty for her deep embodiment of this characteristic after her recent passing.
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After 40 years in Griffith, she had well and truly made, and left, her mark on the town, especially with her involvement in community theatre.
Bernie Maxwell, Stella’s long-time friend and partner in theatre, said she was extremely forthright in her approach to life.
“Passionate about what she did in life – family, her work with GPSO, with the theatre,” Mr Maxwell said
Known for her catch-phrases (“let it land”) and emphatic hand-gestures, her nature suited her director’s role down to a tee, and will be remembered for those and much more by Bonnie Owen, for whom Stella was the matriarch of her acting family.
“You always knew where you stood with her,” Ms Owen said.
“We will miss her enthusiasm, and her ability to get an idea and run with it.”
Stella Patricia Dougherty was the much-loved wife of Bruce, loving mother and mother-in-law of Yvonne, Julian, Kate and Davey and cherished grandma of Max, Isobelle, Tamsin, Samuel and Rosie.
Her life started in Ireland on March 18, 1949. Her parents migrated to Australia when she was just three years of age, on board a ship called the “Somersetshire Motor Vessel.”
Some of her first memories of Australia included the warm air, which she said caused her to immediately fall in love with the sunburnt country.
She was schooled in Woolongong and went on to be an enrolled nurse at Canberra Hospital, before making the move to Sydeny to work at Randswick Hospital. Helensburgh was next on the list.
Her two daughters, Yvonne and Kate, were born in Sydney. The three moved to Griffith in October 1978.
The next years saw her dive into the local sporting scene, playing and coaching softball and netball. She also had stints umpiring at local, inter-town and state level softball games.
She met her husband Bruce in 1980 and the pair were married at Pioneer Park in 1984.
As a founding member of Griffith Regional Association of the Performing Arts (GRAPA), her devotion to theatre saw her inducted into the NSW Association of Community Theatre's Hall of Fame in 2012.
She had various jobs during her life, but her family say she found none as pleasurable as her stint at Griffith’s Post School Options up until this past September, and enjoyed working with the staff and clients there.
Stella was heavily involved in the many facets of live performance and theatre since 2000 as a founding member and principal director.
Her talent at staging professional productions, artistic abilities as director and actor, organisational brilliance and knowledge of community theatre made her a much-sought-after person in the community.
One of her greatest pleasures and joys, and project which her husband Bruce said will be like a family legacy, was her productions with Beelbangera school.
She directed productions over a seven year period that saw the whole school – all students and staff – contributing as cast members and crew.
Pulling it off three times, Stella was justly proud of these shows as they involved her as director, Bruce working behind the scenes, and her grandchildren taking centre stage.
A driving force within community theatre in Griffith and surrounding regions, she started with the old Griffith Theatre Company. She produced, directed and acted in numerous productions.
Outlying towns such as Rankin Springs, Hillston and Goolgowi were treated to performances otherwise unavailable to them due to her passion for showcasing community theatre.
While having directed almost every one of GRAPA’s productions since the onset, she was always willing and never afraid to tackle anything necessary.
From actor and producer to Front of House manager, stage manager, costume designer, costume maker, stage hand, properties manager and procurer – anything in order for the production to succeed.
