It\u2019s a bright Monday morning at Yarra Bend Park, the largest area of natural bushland in inner-city Melbourne. Green and lush, the park gently hums with both natural and human activity: birds tweet overhead, dogs swim in the water, parents and grandparents push babbling babies in prams. Occasionally, distant planes rumble as they take off and land at Essendon Fields airport, just north-west of here. It\u2019s easy to forget this tranquil place is right in the middle of a bustling metropolis.<\/p>\n
Near Dights Falls, at the northern end of the park, Geraldine Hickey stops in her tracks and stares up at the trees. \u201cThere were some tawny frogmouths here,\u201d the comedian says in quiet reverence, scanning the sky for signs. \u201cBut that was months ago.\u201d With no sign of the birds, she walks on, her dogs \u2013 chihuahua papillon mix Harry (short for Harriet) and Koolie Lloyd (\u201clike Dumb and Dumber\u201d) \u2013 bounding ahead.<\/p>\n
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Hickey is a household name in Australian comedy; a regular at Melbourne international comedy festival, she won its top gong in 2021. She has also appeared on television shows such as Spicks and Specks, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Guy Montgomery\u2019s Guy Mont Spelling Bee, and last year competed in the reality show I\u2019m a Celebrity \u2026 Get Me Out of Here!<\/p>\n
Hickey with her dogs Harry and Lloyd. Photograph: Ellen Smith\/The Guardian<\/p>\n
The comedian\u2019s deadpan charm on stage is exactly the same in person \u2013 within minutes of us meeting, she feels like an old friend. Candid and warm, Hickey peppers her sentences with \u201cmate\u201d and a hearty laugh as we walk and talk..<\/p>\n
We\u2019re in this park because Hickey is a keen runner and birdwatcher \u2013 she is dressed the part in reflective sunglasses, a special birding legionnaire hat, a rain jacket and sensible shoes.<\/p>\n
Hickey developed these passions during Covid lockdowns. Running came from a step challenge she did with her wife, Cath Bateman. \u201cI remember thinking, it takes so long to get to 10,000 steps \u2013 there must be a quicker way of doing this,\u201d she says. \u201cI never thought that I\u2019d be able to run for more than a couple of minutes. I remember the first time I ran for 20 minutes, and I was just like, oh my god.\u201d<\/p>\n
While co-hosting the breakfast show on Melbourne\u2019s community station Triple R, Hickey met fellow comedian and birdwatcher Sean Dooley. He challenged her to spot as many birds as possible within her 5km radius during lockdown. From there, her obsession blossomed \u2013 each year since 2020, Hickey has released a calendar of bird photos she takes herself with her \u201caggressive-sized zoom lens\u201d. \u201cIt\u2019s quite meditative,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m trying to make it cool, mate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018My material has always come from whatever\u2019s been going on in my life,\u2019 says the comedian. Photograph: Ellen Smith\/The Guardian<\/p>\n
Yarra Bend Park is one of Hickey\u2019s go-to birdwatching spots, and its peace and quiet allows her to take a breath and reflect amid a busy life and career. \u201cI\u2019ve sat on benches and cried here,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen my dad died during the comedy festival three years ago, I made a post so people knew that was why my show had been rescheduled \u2026 I sat down on the bench and read [the messages of support].\u201d<\/p>\n
Hickey is no stranger to sharing her personal life, bringing audiences into her inner world through her experiences. \u201cMy material has always come from whatever\u2019s been going on in my life. I\u2019m not good at making stuff up.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m aware of how I look \u2013 I\u2019m aware that a lot would assume that I\u2019m non-binaryGeraldine Hickey<\/p>\n
In her 2024 show, Don\u2019t Tease Me About My Gloves, Hickey discussed her experience with Raynaud\u2019s syndrome, which restricts blood flow to the hands and feet. She\u2019s also open about her adult ADHD diagnosis: \u201cIt was a big boost in my self-confidence \u2013 it was like, I\u2019m not dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n