Irene Lyne nee Clough
| Town/City | Stanford Merthyr |
|---|---|
| First name | Irene |
| Last name | Lyne nee Clough |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1964 |
| Submitted by | Irene Nichols (Lyne nee Clough) |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – Married 3 months and wished to experience a better climate and job prospects than the north of England had to offer. We left with five hundred pounds only forwarded to a bank in Australia.
We journeyed on the Fairstar, separate cabins; four ladies in one, four gents in another. There was food poisoning after contaminated sea food was brought on board at Aden (we traveled via the Suez Canal. There was a storm at sea in the Indian ocean; more sickness; couldn’t wait to reach land.
At Melbourne there was a welcome note from the Apex club of Australia to say they had accommodation for us in Sydney (we weren’t eligible for a hostel place as we were childless)
Sailing into Sydney Harbour at day break was breathtaking even though we were somewhat frightened at the unexpected. Apex true to their word met us and took us to a one room place with all amenities shared. They agreed to meet us the following day (Saturday) to search for more suitable accommodation. We set up residence in a flat inside a house owned by a Lithuanian couple who had their own immigration stories to tell as their parents had fled the Germans in WW2.
Employment followed at Lewisham Hospital and AWA. After 4 years there was a move to the Gosford area where a home was built. There followed an adoption of a child and an unfortunate divorce.
All ended happily with my marriage to a “Dinky Di Aussie”. After 45yrs here I can honestly say this is home.