Carey Eaton
| Town/City | Melbourne |
|---|---|
| First name | Carey |
| Last name | Eaton |
| Country of Origin | Kenya |
| Date of Birth | 3/5/1973 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1998 |
| Submitted by | Carey Eaton |
Story
Originally of British origin, grandfather John Woods settled in Kenya after the First World War. I was born in Zambia where my parents worked at the time but Kenya was always home. I left Kenya to live and study in Germany, then England and France. After graduating, I worked in London for two years before moving to Japan.
In 1998, it was possible to get a Working Holiday Visa for Australia if you were under the age of 26 – I was 25 – so I applied for the visa and left Tokyo in November 1997. I travelled across Asia for some months, finally leaving Kuala Lumpur for Sydney, arriving on January 19th 1998.
I remember flying for hours and hours over the red dry land of Australia which appeared unoccupied from the sky. My first day in Sydney was one of those wonderful summer days and I remember the distinct deep blue of the Australian sky.
In December 1998 I returned to Kenya to visit my family. I met my future wife Stephanie Goodwin at Mombasa. She came to Australia in December 1999 to celebrate the Millenium and never left.