Robert and Lilian and Christina Yates

Story

My dad Robert Yates and mum Lilian (nee Charles) left England in 1953 because Dad was not paid for a job and felt England was finished. He had met Australians when he was a POW for just over 3 years on the Burma railway. A Melbourne doctor had amputated his left leg so that he would survive the tropical ulcers that Weary Dunlop said would kill him. After WW2 finished and he was repatriated back to UK he met mum at Roehampton Hospital where they were both being fitted with artificial limbs and learning to walk. Mum at the age of 14 lost her right leg during the London Blitz (her mother and sister were killed during the same raid and her brother was machine gunned by a plane whilst waiting for a bus, luckily he survived).

10 days after the crowning of Queen Elizabeth 11 we boarded the Esperence Bay as 10 pound Poms and and sailed for 7 weeks to Sydney, Australia through the Suez Canal. Dad was a printer and soon became involved in the printing of the menus and ship activities, despite his chronic sea-sickness. As a 5 year old my memories include the bathing arrangements. We washed in a bath filled with salt water and special soap. A bucket of fresh water rinsed off the salt. Swimming happened in an above deck pool. A big square timber frame with a timber ladder up the side had a canvas liner that held the sea water. The water was shallow until 12 noon and us kids would run back and forth dodging the ‘waves’ sloshing about with the rolling of the ship. At midday the canvas would be topped up and it was the adults turn. Crew had thier time in the evening.

On board activities inculded qoits and ping pong and there was a fancy dress parade. I was not impressed because I wanted to go as a gypsy princess and instead went as a television. Mum could not find anything other than a large cardboard box that she drew buttons etc.on and I walked around carrying a coat hanger as an aerial!

I too remember seeing boys diving for coins in Egypt. I was dismayed when I saw a crew member wrap a penny in silver foil and throw it into the water. All the boys, some not much older than me dived for it, thinking it was 2 shillings. Their cheeks would be bulging as the money was tucked in for safety. I was shocked that they had to dive for money to survive.

We arrived in Sydney and a photo was taken on the gangplank for the paper. I guess mum and dad were different, both being amputees. Their disability made finding work a bit tricky. It was thought they would not be able to manage. They ended up leasing a kiosk next to Western Suburbs Hospital in Ashfield where they worked 12 hours a day, 7 days per week!!

Mum and I were terribly homesick and after 9 years we had enough money for a trip “home”. We had a wonderful visit and when we returned to Australia we knew where we wanted to be. Australia was our home and I am comforted when I remember thanking dad (before he died in 1989) for bringing me to Australia because I have had a great life and opportunities that would not have happened if we had stayed in England.

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