Jill McLatchie

Story

I have to say I was a reluctant migrant at first! My husband at the time had a quarrel with his parents. They had a business together and he wanted to take it over. His parents refused so he said we would emigrate. My name was Jill Cooper then and we had three young children, Robert was 6, Steven was 5 and Richard was 2. At the time we only had to pay ten pounds each, children were free. Finally John persuaded me that it would be a great experience so we left family and friends and set off into the unknown!

We sailed on the Castel Felice from Southampton. It started traumatically with all the children being sick in London prior to the voyage. Then there were engine problems with the ship and we didn’t sail when we were supposed to but finally we set off. I shall never forget sailing down the English Channel with the white cliffs of the Isle of Wight getting further away and ‘Hey Jude’ being played on the juke box. As for me I cried my eyes out at the last glimpse of my homeland. The voyage was difficult in that we were all in a small cabin together, children could not eat with adults, and the playroom where we were supposed to leave the children had no toys or facilities, opened onto an open deck with only a guard rail and there was no security. I lost Richard when I was hanging washing out, and thought I had lost him overboard, when we were called to the Pursers office where a very glum looking boy was sitting on the purser’s knee. It was such a relief to see him. Robert caught mumps and was confined to the ship’s hospital with black stuff put on his neck and a big bandage tied under his chin. Visiting hours were very strict and it was a very difficult time. He missed the childrens party but the Captain gave him a spirograph which gave him years of pleasure. The voyage took 5 weeks but we did get to have a day in the Canary Isles and Capetown as well as Fremantle.

We stayed on arrival in a Guest house in Adelaide. It seemed full of strange people but they were very kind. When we woke the first morning we thought ‘what have we done’ but 40 years on I’m glad we did it! Adelaide looked so different to an English city but the Australians seemed to think it was just like England so we should have no trouble settling! We were lucky to be met by friends of the family who although unknown to us, befriended us. Thanks Howard family you were great! We found a place to rent, husband John got a job thanks to someone he met on the boat, bought a car, got the children into school and began our new life.

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