Irma and Harry Moreels
| First name | Irma and Harry |
|---|---|
| Last name | Moreels |
| Country of Origin | The Netherlands |
| Date of Birth | 24/09/1928 and 24/03/1926 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1956 |
| Submitted by | Henri Moreels |
Story
Irma and Harry decided to migrate to Australia with their three children (Maria,7; Henri, 5, and John, 4) to experience a new beginning for their family and to join up with Irma’s sisters Henrietta (Jet) and Ann and Harry’s sister (Ann) and their spouses and family. They all joined the catering corps for the Melbourne Olympics before going their own ways throughout Australia. After the Olympics Henrietta and husband Wim settled in Albury, NSW. Irma’s sister Ann settled in Georgetown/Launceston and later Hobart in Tasmania. Harry and Irma and family followed them to Georgetown and then later to Sydney where Harry’s sister Ann and husband Bob resided.
The trip by boat was long and sometimes arduous. Some was absolutely spectacular as through the Mediterranean Sea then through Suez Canal, Red Sea past Aden and into the Indian Ocean to Fremantle, then on to Melbourne through the Great Southern Ocean. Most memorable part of the trip was celebrating John’s 4th Birthday.
First impressions on arrival was that the country was so vast and yet so sparse with great distances between places. Also the people were so diverse and very friendly. Work , accommodation and travel were all so easy. The summers were extremely hot, even in a place so cold in winter as Tasmania was. After spending time in Tasmania we moved to Sydney and in 1960 the family moved and settled in Wagga Wagga, NSW, where Irma still lives to this day. Sadly Harry passed away in 1990.