OLGA DOIKOS

Story

Life Story of Olga Doikos (2)

My parents migrated to the USA in the 1920\’s from the village of Melas (Macedonia – Northern Greece), to us know as Statitsa. I was born in Detroit, Michigan in the year of 1926 to Arthur (Atanas) and Tsila Vasiloff.

My mother returned to her village because of ill health, she passed away when I was five years old. I was raised by my father\’s family.

Although it was a large family it was always in order and everyone had their chores, the adults worked in the fields, herd the sheep in the mountains, the children went to school. At home we spoke Macedonian; at school we learned the Greek. Sundays we attended church; afterwards it was a large gathering for lunch. There were many celebrations, name days and Saints Days, the main celebration was at the monastery Saint Illia.

I married John (Tane) Doikos, It was about this same time that the peace and security of our village and surrounding villages were unsettled, the civil war 1946-49 was looming. My father in law who had arrived in Australia in 1927 was organising travel tickets for us to avoid the civil war.

Travelling with my baby who was 4 months, my husband, and mother in law, sister in law, her husband and 2 children for our journey to Australia. I could hear the planes and the bombings; I remember being very scared.

We travelled by ship to Port Said in Egypt, because there were no ships available for our travel to Australia we were to stay in Egypt for six months We travelled to Australia on a small cargo ship called the ‘Miser’ we arrived in Melbourne, Australia New Year\’s Day in 1948;

My father-in-law had immigrated to Australia in 1927 leaving behind a young family. My husband was one year old. My father in law found life hard with the depression and no work; it was 20 years later when he saw his family again. He purchased a farm in Queanbeyan prior to our arrival so as to accommodate his family and to secure work for us as we were unable to speak English and with growing vegetable we didn\’t need to. I worked on the farm, my husband worked at the cement factory to pay back our travel and accommodation in Egypt, nine hundred pounds which was borrowed from the bank; his pay was three pounds and five shillings weekly.

My day would start at daybreak, when the vegetable were picked; my father in law would do his delivery on a three wheeler bike. Our business was growing successfully and we were able to purchase a horse and cart, together with my mother in law and sister in law we attended to the farm, while my father in law sold the vegetable to the local people.

My husband paid his loan to the bank for our fare and was then able to purchase an Austin truck, he started hawking vegetables to the local people of Queanbeyan and Canberra, Short time later we purchased our 2nd truck and I would drive the truck to Alinga Street Canberra City now known as City Walk selling fruit and vegetables I would park in the same place every day until we purchased the land to build a shop.

I remember working very hard and being very lonely, I was unable to speak English, I was unable to make any new friends, we were unaccepted and we were foreigners. Many times I wanted to go back home to my quite little village and the security of my large happy family, I missed not going to church and the family and friends gathering afterwards, I missed my beautiful village which was nestled in the mountain.

In 1962 my husband and I build a motel in Queanbeyan. It was at this time that I was the happiest because I had my children working with me in the motel and we were always together; it reminded me of my home in the village. My children and grandchildren are good Australian citizens attending school, working or in their own business and I am happy to see that my move from the village has made it a great life for them in Australia.

Olga Doikos

(This story was written by daughter Antula (Cveta) Dimov Ð as told to her by Olga Doikos.

[Impressions on Arrival]

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