Brown George
| First name | Brown |
|---|---|
| Last name | George |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 15/02/54 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1965 |
| Submitted by | George Brown |
Story
Heaven knows why we left England! Dad had a good job, we lived in a nice area and I went to a good school. Anyway, Dad came home one day and announced that we were all going to live in Australia. I recall he referred to it as “Down Under”. Down under where I thought! A new start in life he called it! I thought that there was nothing wrong with the life I had already. He said we were going by ship, and as any young boy would, I began to think about the adventure of a life time on the high seas. What’s more, Australia may not be so bad after all! It’s not like I had any choice in the matter; they weren’t going to leave me.
The journey was the adventure it promised to be. A long train ride from Lime St station in Liverpool to Southampton, and then straight to the ship. We were allocated a cabin and got comfortable. I had every inch of the ship discovered within a few days. In Eygpt we saw the pyramids, and policeman with sub-machine guns. I didn’t feel too comfortable at all! Four weeks later we arrived after the adventure of a lifetime to start our “new life” in Australia.
We arrived in Fremantle in mid December 1965. I recall it being like a town from the Wild West! I wondered what my father had brought me to! Destination Sydney, and a bus ride to Wollongong. For the first time in my life on the journey I could see no sign of human habitation other than the road we were travelling on.
43 years later and I’m still here. Did I enjoy Australia? You bet! A great place to live and work and bring up kids. I love the classless society were anybody can be anything they want to be! I married another immigrant (from Macedonia), and we have been together for 32 years. Yes, I’ve been back to England, and yes, I still call it home, but Australia is still remains the place I want to be!
I’ve been back to Fremantle too! What a change! No longer the “Wild West” town of the 60’s, but a bustling township with heritage galore! Come to think of it, another immigrant inspired that transformation too!