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C-BERSS EX-PRESS
December 1998
Issue 5, Vol 1
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All Newsletters : December 1998 : A Christmas Family Reunion
A Christmas Family Reunion
For Australian born ex-resident Chris Caldwell (Castledare and Tardun)
In 1994, Chris Caldwell decided it was time to follow his "long cherished" dream of finding and establishing connection with members of his family of origin. "I had such a strong curiosity and very strong desire to meet each of them face to face."
November 1994 was a turning point in Chris Caldwell's life. It was, in his words, "a time to do a stocktake of my life" - to reassess and map out future directions.
The previous decade had been marked by many changes both in his work situation and in his private life including a divorce.
Putting together the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle
From the time he left Tardun, Chris had had sporadic contact with his mother who lived in Bayswater. Six years ago he decided to establish a more consistent relationship with her. It was via this resumption of a relationship with his mother that he gradually started to put together the jigsaw pieces of his family's history.
There was Bonnie, the second eldest sibling who lived in Osborne Park and had a kiosk at Perth Railway Station. He located her ten years ago. There was also a younger sister, Joyce, who had been a resident at St Joseph's Orphanage with whom he had an ongoing connection. The other siblings were flung throughout different cities and states in Australia.
The Journey Begins
On the 19th May 1996, he set off on a journey, which was to span 21 months - one that married his twin intentions of finding his family and exploring his country of birth - Australia.
Hitching a caravan to his van he set out for his port of call, Kalgoorlie. There he met up with a brother, Stan and his wife Margaret. Stan had worked for many years as a signalman for the railways. Initially Stan appeared apprehensive about meeting Chris. However after the first meeting, the two stuck an easy rapport.
Chris stayed in Kalgoorlie for six weeks before moving on to Leonora where he met up with a cousin who has a fish and chip shop there.
From Leonora he took a detour to Esperance where he worked on a cattle property for three months before moving north of Esperance to help a farmer with harvesting for six weeks.
Across The Nullarbor
It was now time to trek across the Nullabor. On 19th December 1996 he arrived in Gulnare (a town 50kms north of Clare in South Australia). The contact here was the family of a close friend Barry Dillon. He spent Christmas at Gulnare with Barry's family and the following nine months working on a vineyard in Clare. During this period he established telephone contact with two brothers, Maurice who lived in Sydney, and Kevin who had settled in Brisbane.
Back to Perth
A lull in the work availability in Clare saw Chris fly back to WA to help an old Tardun friend John Hawkins with seeding for a seven-week stint. They worked for 42 days straight before Chris returned to Perth to witness the departure of old female friends and acquaintances from St Joseph's days on their "sentimental journey" back to the UK to meet up with long lost family there, on May 24 1997.
The Journey Continues
It was now back to Clare and work pruning the vines until September 1997. The next leg of the journey was Victoria. Here Chris met up with another friend from his Tardun days, Michael Travers. A 10-day stopover with Michael with a prelude to exploring country Victoria via Albury-Wodonga to Gundagi.
During a month's work on an asparagus farm in Jugiong, a town 40 kms north of Gundagi, he set about trying to locate his sister, the youngest in the family, who was adopted out at birth.
Through the agency of the Victorian Adoption Centre he found out that this sister had two teenage sons. He was disappointed that she decided she did not want contact with him or any other members of her birth family, but he respected her choice.
The third eldest of the family, Maurice, who lives in the Blue Mountains was delighted to welcome Chris to his home. "They really rolled out the red carpet for me" was the way Chris described the ten days of hospitality he experienced with Maurice and his family. A highlight of the stay was when the two brothers teamed up in a local bowls competition and were runners-up!
Chris Caldwell with his elder sister Gloria at their reunion in Tasmania
On the Road Again (and Up in the Air)
An avid country music lover, Chris travelled from the Blue Mountains in time for the country music festival in Tamworth. Four of the six weeks here saw him engaged in another novel line of work on poultry farms. By the end of January 1997, it was time for Chris to head north to Brisbane to meet up with his eldest brother, Kevin and from there he flew to Tasmania for three days to connect with an elder sister Gloria.
The two had met only once, when Chris was four, at St Joseph's Orphanage. He recalls her standing near the pool in bathers and someone telling him that she was his sister. When they met again, Gloria recounted a fleeting memory of him as a sweet small boy with blue eyes and a smiling face.
Completion
After ten days in Brisbane with Kevin, Chris felt that he had satisfied his aim to meet all the family members it was possible to meet. It was time to head home. He drove back via Tamworth and Clare. In total he had spent 21 months away from Perth - a period that he describes as the most significant in his life. "I'm a more contented person now, I know my family, have on-going contact with each member. I have fulfilled a dream."
Since his return Chris has bought the house his mother lived in Bayswater for 35 years. The process of slowly renovating it is a labour of love. "I have a strong sentimental attachment to my mother's home and intend to live there for the rest of my life".
A Family Christmas
Chris is heading east once again to spend Christmas 1998 with his sister Gloria and brother Kevin in Brisbane. This is the first Christmas in his life that Chris will spend with members of his family of originand he is excited by the prospect.
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