Richard Waddell
| Town/City | Nana Glen, NSW |
|---|---|
| First name | Richard |
| Last name | Waddell |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | May 6th, 1912 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1951 |
| Submitted by | Brenda Glasgow |
Story
Our family was influenced by my brother Brian wishing to explore another part of the world and my
father, also restless, became enthused with the idea . Before long we, my father, brother, mother and
self, were packing up and leaving our homeland much to the horror of other family members.
We left many personal treasures behind and only had one trunk and four suitcases.
Travelling on the S.S. Asturius, we travelled to Malta, where more people boarded the ship. Through
the Suez Canal and onwards to Ceylon. My brother became dehydrated and nearly died but recovered.
The journey was a great experience for us all and we met people who are still in touch, finally arriving
at Fremantle, then Melbourne and train to Bonegilla (no platform) and very much outback Australia.
We were received at the Migrant Hostel there (because we didn’t have a sponsor); horseriding and
barndancing; women went off to tea parties and experienced Pavlovas for the first time! My Father, being an impressive fellow, gentleman etc. was offered a job as Camp Manager but he
declined because we really hadn’t seen much of Australia at that time.
We finally went to the East Hills Migrant Hostel and set up “home” in a nissan hut, large with four
rooms. The air was filled with the smell of bushfires, so very different to the atmosphere of London.
We all found jobs in nearby places and my brother was required to do his national service in Australia because he had been released in England on that condition.
My parents purchased land at Burraneer Bay, Caringbah and decided to build a house there, which
was a challenge for my father, but this is what the move was all about. My Mother and I were quite homesick for England until we found good jobs and friends. I worked in the office at David Jones Ltd. with the Chairman, Sir Charles Lloyd Jones, in the days when the stores were family run, and found this to be an exciting place to work. Gradually we all found our niches and Australia became our home.
Unfortunately, my father became sick and died at an early age of 56, leaving a huge gap in our
family but he had achieved plenty and was respected and loved by many. In turn he loved and
never regretted coming to the land of opportunity, leaving behind many grandchildren and great
grandchildren.