Mrs Joan De Carteret from the Spencer Street units, started life in an orphanage in Geelong when she was one week old in January 1952. She was placed there by her grandfather. She spent the next 16 years there and whilst not the happiest place to live she was treated fairly by the nuns. At 16 Joan was sent to live at Marellac House Hostel in Brighton. She found a job in a factory and worked there for a while till she found work as an orderly at ST. Vincent's Hospital, a job that Joan enjoyed. Joan married in 1980, had 3 children and lived happily in Melbourne until her husband passed away from lung cancer in 2000. Joan wanted a fresh start so moved to Gippsland later that year. The move was not as successful as Joan had hoped so at the urging of her son in Ballarat she applied to move here, arriving in September last year. Joan has two sons, a daughter plus nine grandchildren though she only gets to see her son and his family living here in Ballarat.Joan was able to trace her natural mother with the help of the Aboriginal Health Service and in 1991 met her mother, sister and brother along with stepfather at the Morwell station. Although Joan was nervous the reunion was a happy event and Joan kept in touch with her family. Her mother died in 1995 and her sister died in 2007. She did manage to trace her father but he was not keen to meet so Joan has no contact with him.
Joan is enjoying the move to Ballarat and the extended opportunities Ballarat provides. Joan loves doing jigsaw puzzles and has a fine collection of completed works at her unit. She also likes to knit when the mood strikes her.
After completion of this story I did a project for the ABC Open local Ballarat area and Joan was the subject. The final video can be seen here. http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2010/09/21/3017882.htm?site=ballarat§ion=open/change&date=(none)
No comments:
Post a Comment