Noel Deane-Spread

Story

Noel Deane-Spread was born in Mussourie, India on 23 December 1924. He grew up there & was raised by his grandmother and aunt & was educated at St George\’s College in Barlowgunj. At the age of 18 he joined the Air Force & trained as an instrument repairer in Ambala where he later met Audrey Skilling. They fell in love & married in 1945. In 1947 he left the Air Force & became manager of the Karnal Transport Company. During 1947 the British Government gave India independence. Until order & rule had been established there was civil unrest in the country. Muslims were living in some regions, which prior to British rule, had been Hindu regions & vice versa. People turned on each other with terrible consequences. At this time Noel was called to the Deputy Commissioner\’s Office & placed in charge of all motor transport in the area. It was a dangerous time & millions of people were killed. Audrey’s father was a captain in the British Army & they were given the option to migrate to England, Canada or Australia. Noel & Audrey decided to migrate to Western Australia & were soon granted their passages to travel. It was very difficult to get passports issued in India during this time so they travelled to Pakistan where Audrey’s father was stationed with his regiment & he arranged their passports. Audrey’s mother & siblings also needed to reach Pakistan, so they all travelled together on what was a very dangerous journey.

Through his work Noel organised a passenger bus which he drove from Ambala to Pakistan with Audrey, her family & a few possessions. Audrey’s mother hid a revolver they had taken for protection, under her skirt. Noel drove all the way as no one else in the family knew how to drive. This marked the beginning of Noel & Audrey’s journey to Australia.

The journey from Ambala to Pakistan normally took 6 hours to complete however on this occasion it took 4 days. Thousands of refugees were moving along the roads between Pakistan & India & everything moved at a snails pace. They were stopped many times by the army or groups of refugees wanting refuge on the bus or wanting to take the bus over. Along the way there was no food, water, sleeping or toilet facilities. They only had the food & water they had taken from Ambala. Noel always said that the death & carnage on that 194 mile journey was something he would never forget.

Due to Noel\’s courage & determination they all reached Pakistan safely & were reunited with Audrey’s father. Here they were issued with passports & left for Karachi by train. From Karachi they caught a troop ship to India where they stayed for 6 months in a British holding camp at Deolali. On 28 May 1948 Noel & Audrey left for Western Australia on the ‘Empire Brent\’. They boarded the ship in Bombay & a week later arrived at Fremantle. They were ready to begin a new life in Australia.

When they embarked from the ‘Empire Brent’ at Fremantle, Noel stood on the dock, looked at the terminal which was just a big tin shed & said, “what the hell have I come to!” Half their baggage had mistakenly been sent to Brisbane so they had few possessions & money. They caught a taxi to the Salvation Army Hostel but the driver felt sorry for them & didn\’t charge them. The manager gave them 4 weeks accommodation (they were only suppose to get 2 days!). Audrey started work as a housemaid & Noel as the night officer at the hostel.

Audrey’s family later arrived & her parents bought a large property of land right by the river in Bayswater. Noel had joined the railways & he & Audrey bought half the property from Audrey’s parents for 120 pounds. They built their first & only home in Bayswater in 1954 & raised 3 boys & a girl in this happy home. There was also, always a meal and bed for anyone who needed it. Noel loved to drive so they visited & camped at many places in Western Australia. Noel left the railways after 27 years & with his 3 sons worked with the transport company ‘Killara Road Freights\’ that serviced many towns in the north west. In 1989 Noel & Audrey retired. Noel & Audrey always said Australia was very good to them & considered Australia their home. Audrey passed away in 1995 & Noel passed away in 2007. They left behind their 4 children, 7 grandchildren & many great grandchildren.

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