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London: One of the joys of reporting from overseas is learning about Australians who have found their way into intriguing or incredible work far from home. They can turn up in any field and will have a story about the sweat and toil needed to make it as an outsider.
It’s not that the Australians at home do not work as hard. It’s that someone who has broken into the castes and cliques of another country is a bit like an Australian who has won Wimbledon. The outcome can be a reassuring sign of national success. Often, though, it is a sign of outrageous personal talent.
So let me tell you about Steven McRae, who started life as the son of a drag racer in Plumpton, in western Sydney, and went to Rooty Hill Public School. That is a challenging start for anyone who wants to take the stage at the Royal Ballet and Opera in Covent Garden, but that is where McRae has danced for more than two decades.
Now a principal with the Royal Ballet, he took up dance after he watched his sister at her lessons. He trained for years in Sydney and, at 17, sought to learn more overseas. He won the prestigious Prix de Lausanne international competition for young dancers, an incredible achievement in itself, and gained a place at the Royal Ballet School in London. He had to work at every stage before (and after) joining the Royal Ballet company in 2005.
McRae made a heartfelt speech at an Australia Day ball in London on Saturday night when he was recognised for his achievements. He spoke about leaving Australia in the hope he could succeed, while at the same time loving the things about Australia that helped him get there.
“I have that Australian fiery spirit, but I also have that extra fight of coming from the western suburbs,” he told the room. Western Sydney, he added, was a place where some people did not really believe in those born there.
“I’ve never forgotten about that,” he said. “I’ve never lost that fire. I think living on the other side of the world my entire adult life has just made that fire burn even more fierce.”
That message resonated in a room full of expats. Some already knew McRae because he was recognised at the same event a dozen years ago, when he won the award for Young Australian of the Year. This time, the Australia Foundation, a not-for-profit in London that runs the ball and funds education scholarships, chose him as Australian of the Year. That shows his staying power.
I don’t write this as a great follower of the ballet, but the parallels between elite sport and elite dance are hard to miss. The relentless physical training, for one. And the injuries. McRae snapped his achilles tendon on stage in 2019 during a performance of Manon, and he left the stage in great pain. It took him two years to undergo a full achilles reconstruction and rehabilitation. That story is told in a documentary, Dancing Back to the Light, which aired on the BBC last year. (Unfortunately, it is yet to be picked up in Australia).
When I spoke to McRae this week, he told me it was terrifying when he came to London alone as a teenager and had to start ballet school. But it has clearly worked out. He was joined on Saturday night by his wife, Elizabeth Harrod, who was also a soloist at the Royal Ballet. (They met at age 17, the romance came later). Their three young children were with them.
His speech was emotional and hilarious. The emotion came from his words about being a teenager trying to pursue his career. The laughs came from his six-year-old son, who stood beside him making faces while he spoke. “Guess who wants to be on stage?” McCrae quipped.
One thing really stood out. McRae said he and his parents had written to more than 100 organisations in Australia when he was seeking support to learn overseas. Only five replied. None helped. McRae summed up those replies with these words: “If you were in sport, we could help you.”
In the end, the only way he could get ahead was by winning ballet competitions and using the prize money to fly to the big one, the Prix de Lausanne. That gave him a year’s tuition at the Royal Ballet School, which changed his life. So, he used the Australia Day ball, a black-tie event with plenty of money in the room, to ask everyone to do a little bit more to help kids like him. When someone comes to you, he said, give them some support.
“Even if we can’t make something happen for somebody, we all know somebody, we’re connected to somebody we can call,” he said. “Please, be open with your eyes, your heart. Whatever field it is that you’re in, there is always a way we can connect with people. We can help open doors for people.”
Sure, Australia is known for its “tall poppy” syndrome, and we sometimes mock or forget the expatriates who leave. But another Australian who thrived in London, author Clive James, had a great book title – The North Face of Soho – that captured the sheer grit required to climb your way up in a foreign land. We often applaud the migrants who make it in Australia, so it’s right to celebrate those who choose to make it elsewhere.
David Crowe is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
