Annabel Crabb on Family Treasures and Personal Anxieties
Annabel Crabb, the broadcaster, cookbook writer, and political commentator, shared insights into her personal life, including her family’s tradition of keeping mementos and her own feelings of anxiety about public perception. Crabb carries a locket of hair belonging to her paternal grandmother, reflecting her family’s habit of preserving meaningful objects. She also mentioned having thick plaits of her late maternal grandmother’s hair, emphasizing the sentimental value her family places on such keepsakes.
During a conversation at a cafe inside the Calyx at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Crabb discussed the significance of collecting and preserving history, which ties into her latest ABC podcast, History or Hoarding? This series explores curious objects in the State Library of New South Wales’ collection, where Crabb has been interviewing staff. The location was chosen for its historical importance as Australia’s oldest collecting institution.
Career and Public Life
Annabel Crabb is well known for her work on ABC programs such as Kitchen Cabinet and the podcast Chat 10 Looks 3, co-hosted with political journalist Leigh Sales. Despite her public profile and frequent interactions with fans, Crabb revealed that she experiences anxiety at events, particularly due to difficulty recognizing faces. She recounted an emotional moment at the Logies awards where she cried in the makeup room after misrecognizing several people, including an actress who had portrayed her on television.
Crabb lives in Sydney’s inner west with her partner, Jeremy Storer, and their three teenage children. She described the experience of watching her eldest daughter vote for the first time as “lovely,” which occurred while Crabb was filming the ABC docuseries Civic Duty. The series aims to make Australia’s democratic system accessible and engaging, a theme also reflected in her children’s book There’s a Prawn in Parliament House, which introduces democracy to young readers.
Approach to Politics and Media
Crabb’s approach to political commentary is characterized by wit and accessibility. She began her journalism career covering politics for various Australian newspapers before joining the ABC in 2009. Her hosting role on Kitchen Cabinet, where she cooks with politicians, has been both popular and occasionally criticized for being too gentle on political figures. In response, Crabb has defended the format, explaining that her conversational style encourages guests to open up and share candid insights.
Her work extends beyond politics to social issues, including gender roles and work-life balance. In her book The Wife Drought, Crabb examined the challenges women face in balancing career and family responsibilities. She acknowledges progress, such as increased acceptance of paternal leave, but stresses that structural change is still needed to address societal assumptions about caregiving and income earning.
Personal Interests and Family Life
Crabb’s connection to family and tradition is evident in her personal interests. She described her upbringing on a sheep and grain farm in South Australia, where nothing was ever thrown away. This mindset continues in her own home, where she keeps broken plates with the intention of repairing them using the Japanese art of kintsugi.
Cooking is another way Crabb bonds with her family, especially her mother. She keeps a scrapbook started 18 years ago, filled with recipes and memories of her children’s sayings. This scrapbook has become a cherished family document and a source of comfort and connection, especially as her children grow up and move away.
Crabb also spoke about gardening traditions passed down from her mother and grandmother, who were devoted gardeners. Although she does not consider herself skilled in gardening, she appreciates the family heritage and the joy it brings.
New Podcast and Continuing Work
Annabel Crabb’s latest project, History or Hoarding? With Annabel Crabb, is now available. The podcast delves into the stories behind objects in the State Library of New South Wales’ collection, highlighting the evolving perspectives on what is worth preserving. Crabb expressed particular pleasure in meeting the library’s first two Indigenous librarians, who began their careers at a time when decisions about collections were dominated by white men.