Susan Burrough
| Town/City | Carey Bay NSW 2283 |
|---|---|
| First name | Susan |
| Last name | Burrough |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 01.06.1945 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1969 |
| Submitted by | Susan Burrough |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – I was 24, just married, looking for adventure.
We sailed on the Achille Lauro from Southampton in June 1969. We were excited about the prospect of a new life in a young country. We were not expecting to be split up. I shared a cabin with 5 ladies for 5 weeks. My husband shared a cabin with 5 men for 5 weeks too. It was not very pleasant on board, very crowded. The food was awful, but then we were only 10 pound Poms. We sailed through the Mediterranean, stopping at Genoa, Naples, Malta, then Teneriffe. That was the best part of the voyage, getting off at the various ports, sightseeing and having a decent meal. On board ship we made friends with a retired headmaster, Cliff Westlake from Sydney, who had been holidaying in England. He was to be a life-long friend who shaped our lives in Australia.
Landing in Sydney on 2nd August 1969 to a lovely warm and sunny day we were full of excitement. A coach drove us to a hostel in Dulwich Hill. My heart sank at the old dilapidated buildings we passed along the way. This was not the modern city we had been told about.
EVENTS OF IMPORTANCE
Our friend Cliff Westlake showed us around Sydney and helped us to settle in to our new country. One Sunday he drove us to the Central Coast to his son’s holiday house at Pearl Beach. I said I would like to live there. We eventually bought a block of land there for $4000 and built a house. I lived there for 35 happy years raising two wonderful children to be proud of. Thank you Australia.