Story behind Auslan on Pine

Hi! Behind the Auslan on Pine scene is myself, Lauren, a profoundly deaf wife and mama of two kids. We live in middle of nowhere, between Geelong and Ballarat. People would often say, ' I have never heard of that town', and that's just how we like it. 

Why the name ' Auslan on Pine'? I have been profoundly deaf since birth, and Auslan was my first language before I learned to speak. Growing up, I have always felt like something was missing until I met my husband in 2010. I never truely understood the importantance of my access and how crucial inclusivity is for the deaf community. Having a second family who shares my experience has taught me so much about Auslan and inclusivity. My missing pieces have been reunited, and I began my career by teaching Auslan as a LOTE language at a primary school. I realised that there was not enough Auslan educational resources available for schools to use. That's when my mind started overflowing with ideas for creating educational products for schools, kindergartens, childcare centres, workplaces, and families to learn and appreciate our beautiful language. 

Why Pine as part of Auslan? Growing up, my brother Ben and I have always talked, and still do, about having our own businesses to create wooden products. We both just loved the smell of all types of wood because our dad used to come home with the fresh scent of timber wood cuts all over his work clothes. That's where our love of woods came from. My brother is a woodworking maker and expert, and he would talk about it for hours, while I would think about millions of ideas with an eye for detail and designs. During my childhood, I spend countless hours watching my father cut wood and my brother craft beautiful wood products with his talent. Through observing them, I learned the art of working with wood. After years of dreaming and contemplating, I finally made the decision to pursue my passion. This marked the beginning of Auslan on Pine.