Michael Cannon

Story

I left England from Southampton on the Sitmar line, Fairsea, in November 1966. As a 10 year old, I immigrated to Australia with Mum, Carol, and Dad, Richard, as well as my older Brother, Peter, my older sister, Denise, and my baby sister Linda. Dad had decided an adventure to this ‘far away land’ was a great idea after my older sister had used Australia in a school assignment. The choice of destination was to change our whole lives, I believe for the best.

The Fairsea was at sea 6 -7 weeks, travelling past Malta, the Mediterranean Sea and Suez Canal, and was a lot slower than its sister ship the Fairstar which passed us somewhere in the giant ocean. Our boat was smaller, more crowded and from a kids perspective a lot of fun. I spent my birthday on board, receiving some cast toy ‘Dinky’ cars, which I still have in my possession today. Santa came as well at Christmas time, there were talent shows and also the dreaded schoolwork where we learned all the “everyday” sung songs like “Click go the Shears”, ‘Farewell to Old England Forever’ etc. Apart from the many hours of sea-sickness, the disgusting meal times, the trip was, to me, a giant adventure. A different story to Mum and Dad though who later informed us kids that it was not all it seemed. No doubt they will write their piece for this so look it up.

Our first Port on arrival was Perth. A beautiful, hot, sunny city, with what it seemed very few people. A city I still admire today and have visited on numerous occasions and each time I visit it brings back those first impressions all those years ago especially when I visit Kings Park. We called into Adelaide, Melbourne and finally the city that we would call home, Sydney. The majestic Harbour Bridge spanned our tiny “boat” and an adrenaline filled freshness and fear took over every person aboard. We met Dad\’s new company\’s representative who took us ‘miles away’ to our new accommodation, a rented house in Smith St, Epping. Arriving to temperatures nudging 105 degrees F, it was certainly a different world from ‘home’. Playing under sprinklers on lawns, a sheet covered hills hoist, a friend whose feet, after walking barefoot everywhere, had soles of leather, and the Sunday morning whistles of the paperboy are memories etched in my mind for life. I entered school at Epping Primary which was what it seemed, an awful place with ‘funny accented’ kids with very strange ideas and even stranger teachers who dished out ‘The Cuts’ for no apparent reason. Assemblies saluting the flag together with marching drills as well as the compulsory warm milk at recess all made school life an alien experience.

Having left Chatswood High School, spent a 2 year stint with Woolworths then started, with my parents, a number of supermarkets, including ‘Cannons Cut Price stores in Dapto, and then ‘Cannons Food Barn’ in the ACT, the first scanning store in NSW/ACT and one of the pioneers of EFTPOS in supermarkets. I have so far had a successful life with many challenges and adventures on the way.

Looking back, having married twice to Australian girls, having Australian children and grandchildren and having the choice to move anywhere, work anywhere and the availability to enjoy this ‘Great country’ anytime, I would have it no other way !!!

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