Fleur Butt

Story

13 September 1972 was the day I started high school in the UK. It was also the day my father left to come to Australia. He told my younger sister and I that he was coming for work and to visit his eldest daughter who had emigrated a few years before. It wasn’t until a few years later that we found out that our parents had actually split. Part of the deal was that my mum looked after us until we turned 16 then we became dad’s responsibility! So since he was in Canberra by the time I turned 16, thats where I had to come. I left the UK two days after finishing high school, with no time to work or experience life after school.

I remember going on the train from Canterbury up to London, where we met up with my favourite uncle and aunt who took us to the airport. I had never seen a plane up close, only ever in the sky. It was the days of no air bridge, so I boarded the Jumbo from the tarmac, the turbines were running and it was so noisy. My flight was delayed in Bahrain for 14 hours and we were not allowed out of this tiny room. There were soldiers with guns everywhere and we got fed two tiny triangle sandwiches and a floury apple for lunch while we waited for our plane to be fixed.

I arrived into Sydney about one in the morning then was driven the then five hours to Canberra where I have been ever since. I love this city and its beauty and I am very proud of it. I have revisited the UK several times and whilst parts of it are beautiful, Australia is home to me now.

Thank you Australia for opening your doors to my family, my younger sister has since joined me and between us we have increased the population by a further eight through our children and grandchildren.

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