We stayed for just over the two years there and found the relatives rather strict, but I guess this was how life was back then.
They had orange trees but we were not allowed to take any. However, a kind neighbour would give my mother some so that we girls had a piece of fruit to take with us to school.
Of course our mother had to pack us a lunch as there was no school here that we attended that supplied it, so this was an experience for her.
During 1950, we left our relatives and moved to Hamel, near Waroona, and lived there until late 1951.
During our time there we saw our first snake. I know I didn't like it and refused to go past where we had seen it so did not carry on catching the school bus. I just waited for when it was time to go home and when our mother asked how was school I just said "good". To the day she died she never knew I had missed that day.
Late in 1951, we moved to Gnowangerup a place we could not even pronounce and a place my mother never liked but had to endure until my parents left to go to the Rockingham area.
By this time all us girls were married and also our brother. My older sister and I both continued to remain in Gnowangerup. All my children were born in Gnowangerup and my sister had one of hers there before she moved away as well.
Of all of us I stayed the longest in the town, before moving to Rockingham.
Over the years we have had a number of moves and now reside in Mandurah, for the second time.
One thing that did happen was that on driving to town to get groceries I saw a racehorse goanna and as I had never seen one before I carefully turned the car around and went back home all the time thinking I had seen a baby dinosaur. I must admit that everyone had a good laugh over this.
Of course the grocery trip had to be attempted the following day and to my relief I never saw it again.
Life has thrown many ups and downs, but the best part is that I met my husband and he is Australian, about a fourth or fifth generation.
His ancestors came out as policemen and of the rank of inspectors and so far we have found no convicts.
Many today are proud of their convict relatives and so they should be as many of them only stole food to eat.
In 1987, I had the opportunity to go back to England with my sister and although we still refer to it as home in the sense that it is our birth place, we did have a great many laughs at the antics of the English and commented that if we had stayed there we would most likely have been the same. So coming to Australia had been one of the best things in life for us.
On my return to Australia, I made the decision to become one and this was done under secrecy as I wanted to give my husband and children a shock.
So now I am one of all the Australians either born here or naturalised.
Over the years I have somehow still retained a few things English, but guess this will always be with me.
The worst things in Australia are the blowflies, flies and mosquitoes.