My Story continued:
In 1981 the girls were seven and nine and they were enjoying school. Bill was working in air conditioning and I was was working as a Supply Teacher sometimes called a Relief Teacher. I had applied for full time teaching with Queensland Education Department and I was waiting and hoping to be given a job. Times were tough financially on one wage with mortgage interest rates ridiculously high and we wanted to visit Bill's parents in Switzerland again, which was expensive in those days.
We lived in a small but comfy house. It was a new house in the new suburb of Springwood.
Carol turned nine and she had a small party with neighbours and best school friend.
Springwood Central State School had their athletic carnival. Sonya is second from the back in the team.
Carol running in a novelty race.
Our friends Ben and Lyn had bought a farm in Gatton. They grew tomatoes for the markets and they had dairy cows for their own milk. Ben migrated from Switzerland with Bill in 1967. They came to learn English and return home after the compulsory two years immigration rules, but they loved it here and stayed forever, both marrying Aussie girls (even though I was born in England.)
Bill donned his Swiss farmer cap and tried to help Lyn.
Ben spent a lot of time renovating the interior of the farm house. Later he worked on the outside and the yard and installed a swimming pool.
Bill was enjoying volunteering for Radio 4EB (the ethnic station). One Saturday morning they had a promotional stunt of flying a hot air balloon in King George Square in front of the City Hall in Brisbane.
Our beautiful, cheeky girls (just a tad biased). They could also be trying at times.
End of year concert for Sonya's class at school. She was a chicken in yellow. I made the costume.
Sonya was also a lamb in front of the line.
Time for bed after a big day.
