Jozef Daniela Vrbiak
| Town/City | Yenda |
|---|---|
| First name | Jozef Daniela |
| Last name | Vrbiak |
| Country of Origin | Slovakia |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1980 |
| Submitted by | Barbara Burton |
Story
Jozef and Daniela left Slovakia because they had a dream that their children (yet to be born) deserved the right to be bought up in a country were freedom reigned, most improtantly, and there was religious freedom. Slovakia was at that time dominated by Communism, where practising one’s religion was strongly discouraged and in most cases people were punished when caught.
They had to escape without even telling their parents because if they were caught, jail and a beating was imminent. Daniela was heavily pregnant when they told their family they were taking a short trip. In reality, they chanced their way accross the heavily patroled border of Austria and by the Grace of God, made it across where they were safe. After the birth of their first born son, Jozef Jnr, made it on a plane to Australia.
They came to Coogee and were housed at a hostel, where they commited themselves in learning English and looking for work. Within a short while, Jozef and Daniela were employed at a kitchen, where they cooked and did dishes. They eventually moved on to live at Lidcombe where they were housed at a Catholic Slovakian Community house. They lived there and had another 2 children, Barbara and Michael, all the while Jozef managed to keep a job as a boilermaker and Daniela tirelessly saved as much as she could. Within 3 years, they saved enough money to purchase a block of land in Smithfield where they built a beautiful 2 storey home! They later went on to have another 2 children, Daniela and Paul, who all went on to receive a good private Catholic education, and above all, the freedom to practice their religion without fear of persecution.
They now live at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains in Tumbarumba, where they have bought and own their dream farm (in Slovakia at the time they left, all land belonged to the state, so owning a farm was a dream). They are totally self sufficient, make their own cheeses, yoghurt, bread and grow all their vegetables, and this is all thanks to their skills they attained while living in Slovakia.
Jozef is a well known boilermaker, renowned for his hard work, attention to detail and dedication. Daniela is well known for her exquisite cake and sweet baking abilities and mostly for her homemade pork products, such as her smoked pork and pork sausages. These fine people have bought their talents and customs to this country to help make it the wonderful, diverse, free country that it is today!