Soula

From Greece to Narracan

I promised my parents I’d go back to Greece when I finished my studies. In those days, Greek girls couldn’t just move away for the pleasure of it. I either had to study or get married.

I was 17, a high school graduate and aspiring nurse. So, my parents wrote on a bit of paper they gave me permission to move to Melbourne to study nursing.

I did study nursing, and I did work as a nurse. But, I never returned to Greece to live.

More than 50 years later, and I’m still here, living in Australia. And I still have that precious piece of paper with my parents’ signatures on it.

I finished high school in June, and in September I was here. A couple of months later – November – I turned 18.

My brother was already in Melbourne; he wanted to become a priest. I met a friend of his at church. George was very outspoken and very charming. I married him.

We had three girls and moved to Gippsland, wanting them to grow up in a nice, country atmosphere. They’ve moved away with studies, work and family, but George and I are still here.

I was working in an old mental hospital in Melbourne when I became pregnant with our first daughter. To avoid putting my own health at risk, I stopped nursing. I stayed home and I was a mother’s helper at kindergarten and school. I’d help in the library, listening to the kids reading, or I’d go to the public library and stay there until the girls finished school. The librarian said to me one day, “I can see you love books – do you want to have a job here?” It was meant to be a summer job, but I stayed for seven months.

I returned to study nursing again – psychiatric and general nursing. I studied for five years, while raising three girls. I passed all my exams and I began my nursing career of 30 years at Latrobe Regional Hospital and Maryvale Private Hospital.

I grew up as a child in Greece. I never learnt to cook – I had my mother, my older sister and grandmother in the house, and there were too many people in the kitchen. I never went shopping, never filed any paperwork, never went to the bank.

I grew up here in Australia.

I tried to give my girls a similar upbringing in Australia, but it was different for them. They didn’t have the freedom I had. They had some good friends they used to bring home, and in high school they met some other Greek kids. I taught our girls how to read and write in Greek – they were very proud of themselves that they could speak another language.

Since we arrived in Gippsland, we’ve been involved in the local Greek community. I taught the local kids how to read, write and speak the Greek language. I’ve also taught older Greek women how to speak English. My husband was one of the first committee members of the new migrant centre in the early ‘80s. We started a Greek seniors’ group in 1990, having noticed many migrants found it difficult to complete paperwork and navigate the legal and healthcare system here. We bring in those services and agencies to the group, to explain who they are and how they can help. In 1996, myself and seven others started an international women’s group in conjunction with the migrant centre and Latrobe Community Health Service. We wanted to know “what women want” in this area, and to help give them a voice. We socialise, share experiences, help each other and do training in different areas. Both groups are still running strong to this day.

When George and I moved here, we didn’t have any help with English or handouts – nothing. We had two plates, two spoons and two knives, and we had to make do with what we had.

My advice to anyone is to do the best you can for yourself, your family and the community you live in. Be happy with where you are, and make the most of it.