There are few artistic avenues producer, actor, presenter, model and teacher Tara Henry hasn’t been down. Tara was raised in Highgate Hill, has lived in West End and now resides in South Brisbane. “I love nothing more than to sit and work over a big bowl of chai at The Three Monkeys — I’ve been doing this for more than 20 years! It is my little haven,” said Tara.
In her pursuit of a career in the creative industries, Tara says her hometown has been a constant source of inspiration. “When you are around creative people from all walks of life, it is hard not be inspired by the perspective and experience their story brings,” she said. So far, Tara has had an adventurous career working as an actor, producer, presenter and model. She says her career has been driven by a zest for life and desire to seize every opportunity. “Life is short, so I’m all about trying new things, and taking the plunge into something unknown. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out,” she said.
Tara has walked the Red Carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the International Rose of Tralee, an Irish festival and beauty pageant. She was born in Dublin; her affinity for Irish culture led her to live in Ireland for almost seven years before returning home to West End. “I lived in Galway on the West Coast of Ireland, which is an amazing town full of culture, interest, and it had an amazing live music scene too. Some of the characters reminded me of people you’d find in West End. Easygoing with diverse interests, who don’t take themselves too seriously.” Since returning to Brisbane, Tara has pursued her love of presenting and producing. She is also an English and humanities teacher at Brisbane State High School. “I always thought that I would pursue teaching as a full-time career, and the creative stuff would be a hobby. But, once I started exploring creative opportunities, I found that I could do both.”
Recently Tara produced a play called The Lonesome West for Brisbane-based theatre group Troop Productions. For the next stage in her career, Tara plans to build on her experience as a producer, start her own business, and chase new experiences. “I would love to keep producing creative projects, be it a play, a video or an advertisement. I just love seeing creativity come together to make something wonderful,” she said. No matter where her adventures take her or how the 4101 changes, West End will always be home for Tara. “I think that West End is a different place to what it was when I was growing up, but at its core, it feels the same to me, and will always be home. It’s got so much character, and is still full of life, and I don’t think that can ever be extinguished with fancy buildings. “I’m proud to be a 4101 girl at heart.”
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