Nasreen Rahman

Story

I came to Australia in 1978. My father was working for Bangladesh Highcommission. He was posted to Canberra. I arrived with my parents, sister and brother. I was only thirteen. I remember while travelling to Australia I was feeling really miserable. I did not actually want to come bacause we had been in Bangladesh for only eighteen months. As my father worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we kept getting postings to many countries. For once, I just wanted to experience living in my birth place. We lived in Pakistan, India and West Africa.

After we arrived in Canberra, I enrolled at Telopea Park High School in Forrest. First I had to do ESL (English as a Second Language) classes before I was allowed to go to the main school. I remember once I setlled into my school I started to enjoy living in Australia. I had many friends. My parents were very social. We got involved in the local Bangladeshi community. My sister and I sang and danced at functions. We always had people over at our place for dinners and lunches.

When I went to Narrabundah College, I met a young Australian guy with a Dutch ethnic background. We eventually got married in 1983. I remember all our friends from college found it fascinating to see us get married at the local Mosque in Yarrulumla. My husband converted to Islam. Our friends joined us in having their hands painted with Henna and some of them dressed in a sari.

Few years later, my husband got a posting to Belguim. He was working for DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). We had three children. In 1994, we bought a home in Wanniassa when we visited Canberra. We finished our posting in 1995.

I remember coming back to Canberra and noticing how beautiful it is. The sky is always blue. It’s so easy to drive around Canberra. I also remember how Canberra had grown. Now there was the Tuggerangong Lake and the Hyperdome.

We always celebrated Australia Day in a big way. We went to Civic for Multicultural programs. Sometimes my children participated in the programs. They were growing up with two cultures. They went to the local Bangla School and also attended the Arabic classes at Canberra Islamic Centre.

Unfortunately, my marriage broke down in 2000. I had many contacts with the local Police and the courts. My husband left Canberra in 2002 and moved to Morocco. However, the children and I still live in Canberra and we love it. We have many good memories in Canberra. My eldest daughter completed Year 12 at Canberra College in 2005. She received the David Moulding Memorial Award for Landcape Photography. The photo which won her this award was a photo of the Lake Burley Griffin. My eldest son plays the Tabla. My younger daughter plays the Oboe and is a member of the 2007 ACT Junior Concert Band.

I am successfully employed with Department of Defence since 1986. I visit Bangladesh often. I did not lose my ties with Bangladesh. In fact, I remarried in 2001 in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, this marriage is over also. However, I have a beautiful little boy from this marriage. He is adored by his elder sisters and brother. We look forward for him to go to school and grow up in Canberra. He is so smart!

One of the significant events in Canberra was when the Canberra Hospital was blown up. It was a tragic event as a girl named Katie died as a result of a debri hitting her on the head. She was an innocent by stander. I will never forget that event.

I have nice memory of the hospital because my first child was born there in 1987. It was fate. I was booked at the Woden Valley Hospital but that night all the delivery rooms were booked out. I was referred to the Canberra Hospital.

Canberra is a beautiful city. I feel lucky to live here.

< Back to the Stories