Single-minded success - Settlement Support

An international family
■ Story by Stephanie Moakes, photography by Leigh Dome
After many years of moving around the world, settling in New Zealand has given a whole
new quality of life as well as new careers to one English family.
The year before last, Terry and Elaine Newman moved
from the UK to Palmerston North with their two teenage
sons, Jack (15) and (Joe) 18. The move represented changes on
several fronts for the family. It was a time for them to settle
in one place together and enjoy a pace of life not afforded to
them before.
Terry was in the British Army, which meant the family was
moving to a different country every couple of years. The children
had to spend time in boarding school, and sometimes
Terry had postings overseas without the rest of the family.
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REGIONAL SHARING NEWCOMERS’ STORIES AND EXPERIENCES
LINKZ | ISSUE 48 | 2011
The decision to leave the army after 31 years gave new freedom
to the family. They had reached a stage where they wanted to
have more control over their lives, like choosing where to live
and what to do.
“We’d always thought that we would settle somewhere overseas,”
says Elaine. “We didn’t have one strong home town in the
UK. I was born in Yorkshire, Terry’s from the Midlands, Joe was
born in the south of England and Jack was born in Germany.
Our extended family’s scattered all over the place as well.”