Eleanor del Rosario
| Town/City | Altona Meadows |
|---|---|
| First name | Eleanor |
| Last name | del Rosario |
| Country of Origin | Philippines |
| Date of Birth | 1/11/1946 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1975 |
| Submitted by | Eleanor del Rosario-Saitta |
Story
One of my best friends at college migrated to Australia. In the course of our communication, she kept encouraging me to also migrate. At first, I wasn’t that interested, but later thought that this is my chance to go to another country and also to financially help my widowed mother and my other siblings
I remember meeting a few other young Filipino ladies on the flight from Manila to Sydney and then to Melbourne. Unfortunately, we did not exchange contact addresses or telephone numbers.
I really appreciated the tree-lined streets in Melbourne. When I left Manila in 1975, there was hardly any vegetation on public streets. I arrived in Melbourne on a Friday; went to a recruitment company and found a job the following Monday. At this office I met the man who later became my husband. While still friends, we went to many attractive places around Victoria. I’ve always appreciated the beauty of nature and the topography of Australia. We were married in 1977. We have three children. Two are now married and my husband and I have one grandchild.
My widowed mother came to Melbourne in 1979 before my second child was born. Mother lived with us until April 2004, when she passed away. Mother helped look after our children. My husband and I and our children were very close to my Mother and we loved and appreciated her very much. Mother had a much better life here.
After applying to sponsor my brother and his family, they arrived in Australia in 1986. Two of my brother’s children are now married. Brother and sister-in-law now have a grandchild.
In 1989, my sister and her family came. Two of their children are now married. One daughter has two children and the other is about to have a baby.
None of us ever had any difficulty in finding good jobs. Our lives have been blessed. Living in Australia is much better in many ways.
We all love it here in Australia. I am aware that every one in my extended family really admire the attractive places as we’ve enjoyed visiting all the States. We appreciate the relaxed/laid-back style of living here. Most of the people are friendly, too.