06-Back to Australia - My Life's Journey

It was just before Easter in 1974 when I landed at Sydney Airport. This time, I had flown halfway around the world to return to my old home. The journey, which took over 28 hours, was arduous, leaving me both exhausted and excited to be back in Australia.

After clearing immigration and customs, I was led to an office where I received a taxi voucher for the Villawood Migrant Hostel. Arriving just after lunch, I was allocated a bed and a lockup cupboard in a room with four beds. The staff showed me around and handed me a sheet with the house rules.

A few years before my arrival, I had fallen out with my mother's sister, who lived in St. Mary's, making staying with her out of the question.. She didn't want me to migrate as she feared a repeat of my Dad's experience.

Before leaving Holland, I had kept in touch with a very good friend from England who had moved to Sydney some years earlier. Tragically, during a picnic at the Nepean River, he drowned while rescuing his partner Sandra's young son who had gotten into trouble swimming in a strong undercurrent caused by recent rainfall.

I had stayed in contact with Sandra, who had told me to call her if I ever returned to Australia. With nothing to do until dinner, I decided to give her a call. Sandra was thrilled to hear my voice and told me to be at the entrance in an hour, as she and her new husband Bill were coming to meet me.

Sandra and Bill arrived an hour before dinner, and Sandra's first question was about my bags. When I told her they were in my room, Bill insisted that I get them immediately, saying I was not staying in a hostel but was invited to stay at their house in Narwee. How nice was that?

It took me a few days to overcome my jet-lag, and then I decided it was time to look for a job. The Australian government had granted me a permanent residency visa valid for three years, renewable if I found work and could support myself.

Upon checking with the employment agency, I was told that to work as a nurse, I would need to complete a two-year refresher course. This was unexpected and something I was not willing to go through again. Determined to stay, I looked for other types of work, reasoning that they wouldn't send me back if I found employment in another field. With Sandra's help, I purchased a newspaper and went through the classifieds.

One ad stood out: a reservations clerk position with World Travel Headquarters in the city. The job required a good knowledge of Europe, which I certainly had. Despite my low expectations, thinking many would apply, I decided to go for it.

At the interview, the manager was surprised to learn I had only been in Australia for a few days and was impressed with my English. Enthusiastic about my qualifications and attitude, he offered me the job on the spot, with a start date of the following Monday morning.

World Travel Headquarters handled reservations from travel agents across Australia for various European tour operators, including Contiki Tours. On my first day, I was trained to manage the Contiki Tours reservations area, which was growing and needed a dedicated person. My office skills came in handy, and I quickly became familiar with the operations.

To improve my English vocabulary, a colleague suggested I start doing the morning newspaper crossword. She offered to help me at lunchtime and even gave me an old dictionary to look up new words.

After a few weeks, I felt ready to move on to the next stage of my life: finding a place to live.