Walter Aldridge
| Town/City | Greenfields |
|---|---|
| First name | Walter |
| Last name | Aldridge |
| Country of Origin | Scotland |
| Date of Birth | 18 Febuary.1940 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1952 |
| Submitted by | Walter Aldridge |
Story
My Father, after leaving the army where he spent many years in Africa, Egypt, and middle-eastern countries found the weather in Scotland too cold – so for 10 Pounds came to Australia to the Newcastle coal mines.
The journey on the Ormonde was uneventful but our arrival in Melbourne saw us in the middle of a long union strike in the coalfields and we were dispatched to Bonegilla where we spent some 3-4 months. Finally we were sent to Newcastle (Belmont) to a community of converted Nissan Huts with woodfired stoves and no insulation which nearly killed my Mother (she was ready to go home)
So our impressions of Australia was that conditions were primitive and it was an immediate disaster.
I guess we survived, although Mum never liked it – she died last year at 92 – leaving 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren scattered throughout NSW – one an inspector in Bathurst and one a Australian Champion Bullrider.
I have enjoyed my life here in Australia and am now retired.