Rose Irene Everard
| First name | Rose Irene |
|---|---|
| Last name | Everard |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 11/10/2029 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1969 |
| Submitted by | Jerome Everard |
Story
Why we migrated
Rose’s husband Ted and both her parents had all died within a year of each other, and the future in England did not look promising. Sometimes when you have nothing to lose, it gives you the courage to try something new, and with two sons in tow that meant coming to Australia. A tiny inheritance and the Assisted Passage Scheme saw us come to Australia for £10 to start a new life – a huge gamble, but one that paid off with a better future for her and her two sons. Rose found work within a fortnight and never looked back. Her two sons married Australians and launched successful careers, giving back to the country as much as had been given.
The Journey
It was 11 December 1969. The plane (BOAC-591) was delayed by ice on the runway at Heathrow. It was exciting to fly – this was only our second flight – and the VC10 seemed huge. We flew to Sydney stopping at New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Fiji, refueling at each stop and it took two days (three with the dateline crossing) arriving in Sydney on 13 December, before flying on to Adelaide. It was the hottest summer on record, so it was quite a contrast! We went from minus 3C to 40C+ in three days – and led us to a long hot summer!
Impressions on Arrival
We stayed for two weeks at the migrant hostel on the site of what became the Adelaide Festival Centre, before finding a flat in Port Adelaide. All the palm trees seemed exotic. and the sunlight threw everything into stark contrast after the blue-grey of England. The accents were soft, but the culture so different it seemed surprising that everyone spoke English. But we found the Aussies friendly and direct and easy to get along with. We quickly found that we were accepted for who we were, rather than for our pedigree – and that was refreshing.