Robert and Marguerite Teasdale
| First name | Robert and Marguerite |
|---|---|
| Last name | Teasdale |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 22/11/1914 & 04/04/1917 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1955 |
| Submitted by | Pauline Ure |
Story
Robert Teasdale was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England on the 22nd November 1914. He qualified as a Marine Engineer, working for shipping companies, including the ‘Prince Line\’ until 1950, and then as an engineer at the Horden Power Station. In 1940 he married Marguerita Bewick, who was born on 4th April 1917, also in Sunderland. By the time Robert (who was known as ‘Bobby\’) decided to retire from his position at sea, he and Rita had three children, Pauline (born 1943) Margot (born 1944) and Robert (born 1948). In 1953 their fourth child Susan was born. Concerned that life in the North-East of England offered very limited opportunities for his growing family, Bobby accepted a job with State Electricity Commission at Yallourn in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria.
Our family set sail from Southampton on the 20th April 1955 in the ‘New Australia\’. Being a family of six we had a cabin to ourselves, (with a porthole!) and were not separated like so many other families. The voyage took four weeks sailing through the Bay of Biscay and down the Suez Canal. This was a fascinating part of the journey. The Canal was like a broad road, with large ships passing by, and we were able to see homes, crops and camels as we slowly sailed down to Aden. At Aden and Port Said small boats appeared with people selling their wares, which were then pulled up by ropes to the purchasers.
Travelling with small children must have been worrying for our parents. Seven year old Robert managed to disappear frequently, being found either in the printer\’s shop, the hospital or visiting the crew. On one occasion he was found, after many hours, locked in the luggage hold!
We were lucky in that we had a home, provided by the SEC, waiting for us. We were transported by bus to Newborough, which was essentially a purpose built town for immigrant workers. The area was still under construction, with no made roads or footpaths, and thick mud everywhere. However the house had basic furniture and provisions until we could buy our own. We were fascinated by the very long ‘double sandwich\’ loaves. With a creek and scrubby bush opposite our house, we were introduced to the native wallabies, magpies, rosellas and various parrots. The housing estate was comprised of immigrants from all over Europe, with the majority from the UK, so friendship bonds were quickly formed, many lasting a lifetime.
Another child (Carolyn) arrived in 1962, completing the Teasdale family. All five children eventually completed Tertiary Education, gaining various degrees in their chosen careers, and justifying the risk Bobby and Rita took in leaving behind their families and friends, to start life in a new country. Bobby unfortunately contracted Mesothelioma and died in 1990. Rita died in 1999, but as their legacy, they left behind fifteen grandchildren and a growing band of great grand children.