Guy Brehon

Story

My great great cousin Julien Deleurence came to Australia via Indochina from France at the age of 15 on his uncle’s ship. He ran away from the ship, went to Dubbo and married a Roberts (Emily). The ship came back to Sydney to pick him up, but did not find him and he was declared a desertor. Thus he never returned to France. His son Oscar came to France in 1914 with the Australian contingent and renewed ties with the family. When I was studying English at the Lycee in France I was given the honor to write to our Australian cousins, which I did. After accomplishing my military duty I left France to come to rejoin my relatives in Australia in 1962/63.

The journey was great. I came by ship “le Caledonien” via the Canal of Panama. It was a great journey as we had a lot of passengers from Tahiti. They were very friendly, full of joy and liking parties…

Arriving in Sydney I was welcome by my relatives very warmly, then moved to Orange to live wth my cousins Justine, Eugenie and Dorothee. I found a job very rapidly as a draughstman with Email.

I joined the Jaycees and was sent to Vietnam to help a medical program among the montagnards, near Dalat. I received the Australian medal for Service to Humanity from my voluntary work.

Impressions on Arrival – Very surprised…I though I was going to be greeted by aboriginal people wearing spears… To see Sydney was a true revelation of modernism…I was very impressed.

I never regret to move to Australia. The country, its people have been very good to me.

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