Famous Aussies who followed in parents’ footsteps

In the minutes after her historic Melbourne Cup win on Tuesday, Michelle Payne posed with members of her equally horse-mad family.

Of the 10 Payne children, eight became jockeys (Stevie works as a strapper) and three have now ridden in the ‘race that stops a nation’.

The inspiration behind this incredible racing family? Father Paddy Payne, a veteran horse trainer.

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The family patriarch couldn’t be there to see his daughter’s win in person, but said he knew she had a chance depite 100-1 odds on board Prince of Penzance.

“We were quite confident really,” he told ABC.

“We’ve had good luck. My kids are good, they’re very good.”

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Michelle Payne said her father was her greatest champion, and forced her to keep riding when she was considering giving it up after a nasty fall.

“He said, don’t panic, you’ve got plenty of time to think about it, just relax … I think he likes watching me ride!” she said.

To celebrate the successful father/daughter duo, we’ve rounded up some other famous Australians who have followed in the family footsteps.

See our list below, thanks to SpotJobs:

Gary Ablett Senior and Gary Ablett Junior

Father and son duos aren’t rare in the AFL, but this pair is hard to beat. Playing for Hawthorn and Geelong in the 1980s and 1990s, Ablett Snr is known as one of the best players of all time. Drafted to Geelong via the father-son rule, his son Gary Ablett Junior has tested his father’s legacy, playing in two Geelong premiership-winning sides and winning the AFL’s greatest accolade, the Brownlow Medal, on two occasions.

Jimmy Barnes and son David Campbell are both born performers. Photo: AAP

Jimmy Barnes and David Campbell

Singer David Campbell only found out as a teenager that one of Australia’s most famous musicians was his father. Jimmy Barnes, screaming sensation and lead singer of classic Aussie rock band Cold Chisel, had fathered him at the tender age of 16. Since discovering his true roots, Campbell has enjoyed a successful career on stage, as a singer and most recently, a co-host on Channel Nine’s Mornings.

The Otto family

A creative Australian family to be reckoned with, actors Barry and Lindsay Otto spawned not one but two acting talents. Barry Otto featured in a swathe of films here and overseas, including Strictly Ballroom – for which he won an ACCTA award – Cosí, and The Great Gatsby. Daughter Miranda has starred in Hollywood blockbusters The Thin Red Line, What Lies Beneath and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, while Gracie has made waves as an indie actress and director.

Tim Lane and Samantha Lane

Actors Barry and Miranda Otto hang out with Miranda’s two-year-old daughter. Photo: AAP

Between Tim Lane and his daughter Samantha, they’ve got much of the Australian media landscape covered. A veteran sports journalist, Tim commentates AFL for 3AW radio and writes for Fairfax and calls track and field for the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Following directly in his footsteps, daughter Samantha is a sports writer for The Age and a panellist on Channel Seven.

Marcia Hines and Deni Hines

ARIA Hall of Fame recipient Marcia Hines is best-known to the younger generations as a judge on Australian Idol. But Hines was a successful singer in the 1970s, with hits Fire and Rain and I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself. Born in 1970, daughter Deni sold 2.5 million copies of her 1996 album Imagination.

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