Neville and Lorna Fernando
| Town/City | Sydney |
|---|---|
| First name | Neville and Lorna |
| Last name | Fernando |
| Country of Origin | Sri Lanka |
| Date of Birth | 1934/44 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1976 |
| Submitted by | Sanj Fernando |
Story
Dad (Neville) was a doctor working in a private practice in Sri Lanka. We were better off than most but had little chances for education and training. On my first birthday the JVP uprising (1971) saw rioting and mass violence. Then the oportunity to move to the UK came up and Dad applied. Dad left Sri Lanka for the UK in 1973 and Mum (Lorna) and I (Sanj) followed the following year. In the UK Dad underwent training in Obstetrics and Anaesthetics. Ethnic tensions erupted in Sri Lanka in 1974-75 so we could not return and Dad applied for positions elsewhere. An Australian surgeon flew to London to encourage him to take a position in Scottsdale, Tasmania as a GP/anaesthetist. We left London for Australia in 1976.
We immigrated with help from the Australian government paying 10 pounds each for airfare only. We were met and welcomed by immigration officials in Melbourne. We flew from Melbourne to Launceston (Tas) and were met by the surgeon who drove us from Launceston to the only motel in Scottsdale. Dad asked to see the town and the surgeon said you have already seen it!
Having lived in Sri Lanka and London, the experience of seeing vast expanses of empty space were very foreign and unsettling. The first night was to be a welcoming BBQ. Mum and Dad did not know what a BBQ was and they wore sari and a suit to meet town representatives who were dressed in shorts and T-shirt. Dad subsequently set up a very successful medical practice in Launceston where Ruwani (my sister) and I grew up. Ruwani was born shortly after moving to Launceston.