Three wise grannies have become unlikely stars of Sydney’s CBD after setting up a “Granny Stand” to hand out free life advice to curious strangers – proving that sometimes the best guidance still comes from experience, kindness and a pocket full of lollies.
The pop-up advice booth appeared outside Sydney Town Hall as part of celebrations marking the 170th anniversary of Anglicare Sydney, with residents from Donald Robinson Village stepping up to answer life’s trickiest questions.
Behind the stand were Brenda Carter, 80, Dawn Browne, 79, and Carol Denegris, 68 – three women with a combined 227 years of life experience, 21 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren between them.
What they expected to be a quiet community event quickly turned into something much bigger.
“There we were, in the middle of Sydney’s CBD, behind a stand set up in a busy plaza, giving advice out to complete strangers while our husbands’ band played in the distance,” Carol said.
“It was not what we expected, but we loved it.”
The trio fielded questions on everything from making new friends and coping with the cost-of-living crisis to navigating modern romance.
To their surprise, one topic kept coming up again and again: online dating.
“The questions we kept getting asked surprised us,” Carol said. “They weren’t about health, family or money, it was about online dating!”
While the women admitted modern dating apps were far removed from how they met their own husbands decades ago, they still believed timeless advice mattered most.
“We told everyone they should look for someone they already have something in common with, whether it’s sport, a club, church, anything,” Carol said.
“That way, when they’re meeting people face to face, they can get a sense of who they actually are.”
She said many people seemed genuinely relieved to hear such simple, grounded wisdom.
“You could see people really appreciated that answer, and that it was something they probably knew, but definitely needed to hear.”
One especially touching interaction came when a group of students from St Andrew’s Cathedral School stopped by to talk about staying connected with grandparents who lived far away.
“Two of them had grandparents interstate, and one had hers in Malaysia,” Carol said.
“They told us they wanted a connection with their grandmas, but it was hard to stay in touch. We loved hearing that they use FaceTime so they can still see each other when they chat.”
For the three women, the day became about much more than giving advice.
“It was nice to feel like we were there as experts who were worth asking questions of,” Carol said.
“Sometimes it can feel like younger generations get all the attention about what they want and need, and older people can feel a little left out, even though we’ve got so much to offer.”
She described the event as “a small, good-natured argument against that idea”.
And in true grandmother fashion, nobody left empty-handed.
“We loaded up anyone who asked a question with lollies before sending them on their way,” she laughed.
With more than a third of Australians now having parents born overseas, many younger people no longer have easy access to grandparents nearby, something the women believe makes intergenerational connection more important than ever.
By the end of the day, the granny advisers said they were overwhelmed by how warmly the idea had been embraced.
“It was wonderful seeing different generations chatting and connecting,” Carol said.
“We think grannies and grandpas should be called upon for advice more often – and not just on special occasions. You can take our word for it: grannies know best.”
Images: Anglicare Sydney
