Originally from Melbourne , Paula identifies as a Queenslander ( particularly during State of Origin series ), having moved to Glenden , in the mining belt west of Mackay as a child . She finished school in Glenden ( population , about 1400 ) and at the Glenden State School , she joined the MAD Club - a music and drama club . “ That ’ s where I started in acting ,” she said . One of the first productions in which she was involved at Glenden was A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream ( she played Helena ), and she was looking forward to seeing it again at Shakespeare In The Park at Queens ’ Gardens last month . It was a happy small-town country childhood , and it led to the usual developments of a normal life ... beginning a career , ( mostly in administration ), followed by marriage and babies . She was a young mother - her “ babies ” are now young men Jacob , 19 , and Ben , 17 - and it was acting that gave her solace when the marriage ended in divorce more than a decade ago . “ It was a shake-up in my life , and I went back to what made me happy , which was theatre ,” she said . Then she met Matt through mutual friends and they quickly “ clicked ”. He was from Newcastle and , drawing deeply on her Glenden roots ,
14 | OCTOBER 2017