WHERE MY FOLKS CAME FROM

My two adoptive parents Harry and Gwin Ruston were both born in London, he in 1885 in Bromley by Bow and she in 1897 in Little Ilford, East Ham.  They were married in South Tottenham and after their marriage lived in London.  They both worked at the Sugar Commission, he as Head Clerk and she as private secretary to the big boss.  (Incidentally, my birth father was also born in East London in 1910,  Walthamstow to be exact).  I have a huge London connection all round.

It was after the cessation of WW1 that dad became very ill with the Spanish 'flu and the doctor told them that they should consider moving to a warmer climate for the sake of dad's health.  This they decided to do and they sailed from London for Australia on the ***"Euripides", disembarking at Albany on 9th May, 1920.

The "Euripides" was built in 1914. It was 15316 tons and it's cruising speed was 14 knots.  It left London on its maiden voyage on 1st July, 1914.  Upon its arrival in Brisbane it was taken over as transport for the Australian Expeditionary Force, resuming normal service in 1919.  In 1932 it was sold and renamed "Akaroa" before again being requisitioned for World War 2.  It was broken up in 1954.

I am now more knowledgable about the ship mum and dad sailed in than they would have been.  Isn't the wide world web wonderful?

When I see films of England something within me stirs and I almost get a feeling of homesickness.  It actually brings tears to my eyes.  Why?  Is it because my folks were English and often spoke of their country of birth and always referred to it as "home"?  Any letters from mum's family always came from England which made me feel close to them. I have of course now been married to an English born man since 1967 and he tells tales of when he was a boy and young man in middle England.

It's so difficult to explain.  I am very much a proud Western Australian (Australian overall really),  (you would perhaps have had to be born over here in the West to understand that statement) and yet I have this feeling of also being very much English.  I hated it when our PM years back decided we were no longer British but could only describe ourselves as Australians (in the census etc).  To my mind I am still British.  Almost as though I have dual citizenship which in a way I guess I have as years ago (not sure it would be the same now) I could have had a British passport.

Please forgive me for this somewhat confused post but being adopted always makes one confused about where one belongs and this country of birth thing confuses the issue even further.  Why I am here on this earth has never been a question I've asked.  It was a random event that just happened over which I had no control.  I was very fortunate that it all ended well for me which is probably being a tad selfish.  Am I at my age allowed to still think of myself as a tiny bit English as well as a dinkum Aussie?

***Another extraordinary thing that links my parents with my birth father is that he as a lad of about 14 also emigrated from London to Western Australia and from records I have found it would seem he also sailed on the "Euripides" and disembarked at Albany in 1923.  Unfortunately those records were sketchy but it was the correct name and age and not a common surname so I am sure it was he.