Carol Wilson (Bayliss)
| Town/City | Wodonga |
|---|---|
| First name | Carol |
| Last name | Wilson (Bayliss) |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 28/11/53 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1965 |
| Submitted by | Carol Wilson |
Story
Due to economic tough times in England after World War Two my parents sent my older brother to Australia through the big brother movement in February 1965. My parents and I followed in December of the same year. We left Buckinghamshire and the village of Bellingdon where we lived in a 400 year old cottage with no power or running water. Our only means of lighting was bottled gas and Mum would draw water from a well every day. My father survived in England by working as a labourer/gardener.
We departed from England on the 02/12/1965 from Southhampton on the R.H.M.S Ellinis stopping at several ports. The trip took us four weeks cruising through the Mediteranean, through the Suez canal and on to Fremantle, our first Australian port. My uncle and his family disembarked here to start their new life. We had enjoyed a lavish Christmas dinner with them the previous day. We then set sail to Melbourne and on the way ate watermelon for the very first time, overindulged and consequently were seasick. Entertainment on the voyage included dressing up using whatever was at hand, talent quests and playing deck games.
Our first night in Australia was spent in a migrant camp in Melbourne and I remember being unable to sleep due to the noise the crickets were making. We didn’t know what they were and I was a bit frightened. The next day we caught a train to Wodonga. My father had a job to go to as a farmhand in Kergunyah. Living there I had many new experiences such as horseriding, cattle mustering and swimming in the Kiewa river. We couldn’t believe the huge expanse of the land and how hot it was.
I started school in Tallangatta (Victoria), and travelled by bus every day. As fate would have it the bus driver was to become my future father-in-law several years later. In 1966 we moved to Wodonga and attended Wodonga high school where I completed year ten.
In 1970 I started work at Henri’s bakery as a shop assistant for a period of 18 months. To improve my future work prospects I decided to undertake enrolled nurse training. In 1972 I completed my training and received the nurse of the year award at Wodonga hospital.
I married Peter Wilson, a third generation Australian in 1973. He was a first class tradesman in the metal industry. Between 1973 and 2009 we lived in Kiewa, Chiltern and Wodonga where we now reside. We have three children, Justin born in 1975, Clinton 1977 and Luke 1981. We have three grandchildren Emily, Alicia and Bresciano.
In closing, moving to Australia has given us a chance to provide a happy stable life for our family and future generations. The Australian culture and easygoing way of life is unique and embraced by the many different people who now call Australia home.