How Perth's Goth Scene Saved One Woman's Life

A struggling teenager in Perth found an unexpected lifeline in black velvet, heavy eyeliner, and The Cure's haunting melodies.

Emma Baird felt like she didn't belong anywhere in late 1980s Perth. She wasn't into surfing or sunshine like her peers, and as a bookish, artistic teen, she endured bullying and severe depression.

Then her cousin played her mixtapes of goth music. Everything changed when she discovered bands like The Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees, along with their dramatic Victorian-inspired fashion.

For the first time, Baird felt she'd found her people. The flowing black clothing gave her confidence she couldn't find in typical 80s fashion, and those Doc Martens she bought from a tiny Perth alleyway shop became treasured symbols of self-discovery.

Living in one of the world's most remote cities, Baird reached out to British music magazines and started writing for obscure goth publications. She made pen pals across the globe and helped organize goth club nights and art events throughout the 90s.

Those dimly lit venues with familiar faces and set lists became her safe haven. She met her husband there and built a tight friendship circle that remains strong today.

The Ripple Effect

Baird's connection to goth didn't fade with age. Now in her early 50s, she's traveled to massive goth festivals across Europe, some drawing over 25,000 people, as both a participant and PhD researcher studying goth identity beyond youth.

She's held senior corporate and university positions, adapting her wardrobe professionally while never compromising who she is. At goth events, wearing black velvet in intimate venues or international festivals, she feels most at home in her skin.

The acceptance she experienced in places like Whitby, UK makes her wish Australia celebrated difference more openly. Her research career, lasting relationships, and sense of self all stem from finding a community that welcomed her exactly as she was.

What started as a struggling teen's search for belonging became a lifelong identity that helped save her life. Along with professional support, the goth community gave Baird something irreplaceable: a place where being different wasn't just accepted but celebrated.