Crafting of an Australian Citizenship Quilt NSW Contributions

White, Carole
Saratoga NSW
“On the 20 th May 1943 I was born at my mother’s
parents’ home in London in the front room during an air
raid. The family had pushed the piano in front of my
mother while she was in labour so if the bombs
shattered the front windows, the glass would not fall on
her. Thus the family saying, ‘Carole was born behind
the piano’.
ID074
The artist on the voyage from England to
Australia aboard the Mooltan in 1949 with
her parents and baby brother.
Becoming an Australian citizens on
27 May 1988 at Blacktown Civic Hall, NSW
“My journey towards Australian citizenship started when
my father was stationed in Australia; serving in the
British Navy during the war … He fell in love with the
environment and the people. When the war was over
he returned to England and tried to persuade my
mother to start a new life in Australia. When my brother
was born six weeks premature, doctors advised that
this would be a good move to help the tiny baby to
thrive, so in May 1949 my parents, younger brother and
myself migrated to Australia. My mother came from a
large extended family, being one of 12 children. On the
trip over she became very sea sick, and for many years
suffered severe homesickness, missing her family very
much. As for myself, being so young (I turned six on
the ship going through the Suez Canal) I had no
memory of England at all. So as I grew and developed
over the years I accepted Australia as my homeland.
“My parents had a third child in Australia – a boy. He
always reminded us that he was the only true Ozzie in
the family. Over the years I addressed the subject of
becoming a naturalised Australian many times, but my
parents became so upset and claimed I was ashamed
of my English heritage, so I would let the matter go in
respect for them. Then in 1988, the Bicentenary, at the
age of 45 I decided it was time. I explained to my
parents, that when you bring young children to another
country to live, you have to accept that is going to be
their home. So I became a naturalised Australian. I
love this wonderful country and I am very proud to be
an Australian citizen. When my mother passed away, I
kept my promise to her and took her ashes back to
England to be placed in her mother’s grave. It was
great to meet my extended family at last, and to see
England and all its history but to use Peter Allen’s
words, ‘I still call Australia Home’.”