[Intertitle: Motivation]

When the Civil War started, the Communists, they will come down and get whatever you had. Animals, whatever you had. It was a terrible thing then. So we have to migrate from our little village to go to another, bigger town. To get away from the guerrillas, let's put it that way. And then after when they finish, the people come back to their own little villages. They have to start all over again.



I was 16 actually, when I heard about Australia, and people are migrating to Australia. People are getting for better life. That was the word ... come out to say 'that's better life' to go there. 



My parents approached me, to say that ... 'Would you like to go to Australia to marry someone else?' And I was terribly upset about that and I said to them, 'No I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not marrying. I'm too young.' They thought Australia was a beautiful country and probably they thought money was just coming, growing on the trees I should say now. And they said if you do (go). Bring, take your sisters after when you leave. So you can give a relief to your father. Those days the parents have to sort of really give money to someone to marry their daughters. 



She really emotionally blackmailed me, my mom. And I said yes.

We were actually 500 girls coming on that boat to marry the fiancés. 500 girls. 

[Intertitle: The journey]



When you agreed to come ... you have to go through the doctors. Completely ... check-up. Nude. You have to stand in front of them nude. It was embarrassing thing, you know. I never believed .. I think .. I couldn't believe that. You're just hiding and I said 'No, no!  We're children!' We didn't know any of the language. They were talking to us in English, no language at all and then waving your hands. Go straight like that and pause yourself there. It was embarrassing. But yeah you have to go through it. 



When we left Athens, we came to Port Said and my experience was there the people with boats, little boats. They came and sell you whatever you wanted. Shoes, everything. And we used to put the string with the money down there, they put the shoes tied up and they bring them up. So it was really exciting yeah it was really. I forgot that I was coming to get married. I was quite happy! 



35 days I think it took. 3 times they put the siren on – so we're drowning. I can't even swim. We have to put on this jacket on. In case anything happens, we have to be prepared. So that was terrifying. 

[Intertitle: First impressions]



When I arrived in Melbourne, a lot of things happening. Too many people, you know.  A lot of migration there and people are ... Busy, busy, busy, busy. He was waiting here for me – my future husband. I was busy myself you know. Busy thinking, actually to be honest. Thinking what to do, what to say, how do I behave. Shall I be straight honest and say 'I don't want to stay here, I want to go, and send me back!' and all these things.

 

I accept everything, but I can't say that I was over the moon. But I'm a very happy person naturally. I'm a happy person. As we were walking I saw 2 couples sitting in this particular chair kissing each other and I thought 'Oh ... that's a little bit free, isn't it?' That was the impression that I got. Oh, I said 'They shouldn't be doing that, you know, in the open kissing each other.' That's the first impression that I had. 

[Intertitle: Settlement]



We are up to Adelaide. We went straight to our home. There was a house that we were renting. He did, not me. My future husband. And we live with another family there and we got married in that particular house. 



The Greek community was getting together because we all lived in a suburb sort of close to each other. Because of the language and the customs and all that. We used to have barbecues down at the park. Lots of people there. You get mixed with other people too, easily. 



Actually I was pretty interested in English language, so always listening. Looking at people like I do to you now. In the face, in the eyes, and I picked up the language pretty, pretty fast. 



And also I went and worked for a Hungarian lady. She used to put the radio on to say to me 'You listen.' Some series was on the radio you know like a theatre?And I was listening and sewing. Thus I became learning the language. 



And then when I had my children I had to read the books they were reading, to see if they were doing well. That's how I picked it up. 

[Intertitle: Work and play]



When I came out here the only thing I wanted to bring was my tape measure. I thought that was the most important thing for me, to measure things. I thought it will be different here and I wouldn't know the numbers. I thought there would be different numbers here. Then I realised the numbers are the same. But I did keep my tape measure for a souvenir.



Well, I wanted to have a big business. I wanted to have lots of girls working for me. And making things for people. I worked hard with my work. I had wonderful clients and I was very, very busy. But unfortunately my husband never supported me for that. That was the disappointing part of it.

[Intertitle: Challenges]

 

My biggest challenge was my marriage. You might get sick of listening to the dad, that was my biggest challenge and my biggest problem. How ...  to cope ... with this person. How I behave, how I express myself ...  I wasn't allowed to ... to talk to a man.  You have to put up with everything and hope for the best. Then he lost his job in the meantime. He used to work for Holden and that's when the trouble started. He was really, really depressed himself. And most probably what I think, he didn't like that he couldn't provide for us and I was the one. He started to drink, gambling, he was getting violent. I was like a prisoner.  A live prisoner, serving that marriage. So I had to cut off. That's it. 



That was the biggest decision that I made. And I was one of the first Greek women, I would say, that got divorced. I found a little bit against that, as a Greek woman. A young age. But I didn't really care. I needed to take care of myself and my 2 children. 

[Intertitle: Return visits]



I decided to go and see my parents in Greece. That was in 1973. The first thing that I did, I must admit. Getting off the plane, I kissed the ground. And I said "patrída mou" you know what I mean? "My country" - that's what I said. It was so sad.

You're really attached to your own country. You cannot forget it no matter what. 



My children said 'Mom, what are you doing?' I said 'What am I doing? You know, this is my country!' I said to them. 'Oh, okay.' 



My brother was waiting there for me. As we're going through the ... the ... passage that people have to test your ... passport and all that. He said. 'Oh, Australia.' 'Why did you leave your country and go to Australia?' I said to him, 'Do you think I wanted to go?' 



When I arrived to see my mum, my father. Everything was different, so different, terribly different. It wasn't very easy you know. My mom was old, my dad. Then the people start coming. Sofia is coming home! That was very exciting you know. Crying, everybody crying, laughing. It's not easy you know, it's just sad. But then again ... tears of happiness too. 

[Intertitle: Reflections]



Paradise doesn't just come, you have to make it. For me, I would say ... Australia is, it is a wonderful country, but sometimes the people are the ones that ruin it. This is my today's opinion. At the time you came here to work, you can make it a paradise or hell. 



Depends how you, how you stand psychologically. Like I said, my life has been wonderful because I see things wonderful. Doesn't matter what I've been through, don't interfere what I want to do. 



I have no regrets ... Only when I get angry sometimes. Oh dear.