Eilleen Kearney
| Town/City | Shepparton |
|---|---|
| First name | Eilleen |
| Last name | Kearney |
| Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
| Date of Birth | 16/03/47 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1953 |
| Submitted by | Eilleen Ladgrove |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – My parents wanted my sister and I to have a better life and a better education and they chose Australia because of its promise.
About the Journey – I remember seeing flying fish one day, and nearly falling overboard trying to see them – thankfully a steward caught me….we also saw whales, and I remember King Neptune turning up at the ship’s swimming pool as we crossed the equator. We all got certificates saying that we has crossed it. It was a huge adventure for my sister and I.
Impressions on Arrival – Being only 6 years old, I remember my shock at the outside toilets – I hated them! I also remember wondering where all the houses were, as I only saw “bungalows”. My sister and I were given toy koalas when we arrived, and I had that koala for at least 15 years – we went to Tooronga Park Zoo in Sydney, where a cockatoo swore at dad, and an emu pinched mum’s ice-cream cone and ran off with it. Mum’s face was a picture. Dad, Ann and I loved the country, Mum was really homesick and hated the heat right up until she died in 1970. I am the only one left, and I love Australia, have an Aussie hubby, and Aussie kids and grandkids – Australia has been kind to me, and I consider myself an Aussie because I have been here 56 years, the first 6 years we lived in Queensland, then we moved to Victoria where I have lived ever since.