» Read the Spanish version of this story

Author: David Verdejo
Storyteller: The grandparents of David
Community Language School: Wollongong Spanish School
Main School: Figtree High School

The stories and diaries of David's grandparents.

The story of Faustino Verdejo

I was born in a small town, Carazejo. I lived with my nine brothers and sisters and my parents. Spain was very different to what it is today. When I was young the Spanish Civil War broke out between the socialists and the fascists.

My town was very beautiful, and my house was very big, but during the war it was all destroyed, my town and my house. My home was a precious home, but it was bombed and all that was left was a big pile of rubble. Before this happened they would often evacuate my town, because bomber planes were on their way. Because of the war many people, including friends and family, were killed.

Before the war we were pretty well-off. However during the war my father was sent to gaol because he was accused of being on the opposite side. He was in gaol for five years and when he was finally released, he became very ill. With nine mouths to feed without any money, it became very difficult for my mother. Like many other families in the same situation as ours, we were left poor. We relied on social security for food.

After the war ended, up until the time I left Spain for Australia, I was a cleaner and a child minder. My life was not pleasant. I later got married and had two children.

The story of Manuel Valentin

I, Manuel Valentin, was born in La Coronada which is a small town. When the war broke out I was only five years old. I remember that my father was the mayor of the town. We lived happily up until the 'reds' invaded my town. My father hid us from the 'reds'.

When he returned to the town to defend it, the church had already been burnt down. He was jailed for 31 years, for not protecting his church, which was considered more important than anything. After three years my father died in jail of a heart attack. My mother found herself alone, with five children and no money or home. The next year was a very bad time for us. It got worse.

The next year when I was eight, my youngest sister died of pneumonia. She was not only my little sister, but my best friend. Things got worse. But the years continued to pass by. I later married Asuncion Valentin and had four children. I moved to Australia, leaving my wife and kids behind. They came six months later. Three years later I had my last child.

The story of Asuncion Valentin

My name is Asuncion. I was born in a town called Fuente Ovejuna, in 1935. I don't remember the war; I was only little. I do recall the aftermath of the war. The war didn't affect us as my family wasn't poor. My father had a farm with animals such as cows, pigs, hens and chickens. We also grew wheat, chickpeas, and many other things. I still remember when they came to take my father away for helping a hurt soldier he had hidden. They were going to shoot him at midnight but someone had him released one hour before his execution.

Fuente Ovejuna is a town that stands on top of a big hill. The church is at the top and the houses run all the way down to the bottom of the hill. The houses were all white and had trees in front of them.

At 19 I went to Madrid with my mother and sister. I married my husband Manuel Valentin. In 1964 we came to Australia. Here we began a new life and our newest adventure.

The story of Emilio Verdjo

I, Emilio Verdejo, was born in Spain in 1921 in a town called La Carolina, where I worked in the mines. I would go to work on a donkey and my job was about 15 kilometres from my house. In those days they did not have trains to pull the wagons of coal to and from the mines so they had to be pulled by three men and a donkey.

When I was 12 my mother died. Those days were the worst days of my life. I did not attend my mother's funeral because I became very ill at that time. My father was left with two small children to look after. It was too much for him to work all day and look after the children, so he remarried.

What my grandparents brought to Australia

My grandfather Manuel Valentín carried in his suitcase plenty of memories and photos of his mother and sisters who stayed in Spain; memories of his farewells, not knowing if they were forever. He brought some records of Antonio Molina, Valderrama and Mari Fe de Triana, who were famous then. But the main thing he brought was a great pain to have left behind in Spain his wife and four children without knowing when he could bring them to Australia.

My grandmother Asunción Valentín came eight months afterwards with their children. She brought in her suitcase photographs of the whole family that was left behind. She brought as well a big painting of the "Corazón de Jesús" that was a present from her mum, in order to bring her luck in this faraway country.

Into her suitcase she brought the happiness of her beloved Spain, the place she would never forget no matter how many years would pass; their way of celebrating Christmas Eve together singing, dancing and drinking. She brought a medal of the "Virgen del Pilar" to protect her in this new land.

But what was heart-breaking was the memory of her mother bursting into tears as she waved goodbye. In her eyes she read the message "goodbye my daughter, I'll never give you a kiss or a hug again". She would never see her again.

Diary of Faustina Verdejo written by her grandson David

9th of September 1962.
It is nine in the morning and we are preparing to go to Australia. My husband has been saying goodbye to his family as I have to mine. I clean my house for the last time and shut the door forever. Today is the day that we say goodbye to our family, goodbye to my beautiful street lined with white houses, goodbye to my house where many happy memories will be left behind, goodbye to La Carolina and Good Bye to Spain. Now we are on our way to the port where our boat Casti Feliz is waiting.

I bring the minimal amount of luggage with me. In my suitcases I am bringing the children's clothes as well as mine. One of the suitcases was made last night out of wood; it is held closed by a rope.

10th of September 1962
Today is Tuesday. The sea is calm and blue, a very dark blue in colour. As I sit on the top deck I recall my beloved Spain. I really don't recall many beautiful things, just the treachery of war. I also think to myself how my father left Madrid for a small town called the Carolina to start a new life without having anything. I am now doing the same thing except on a much larger scale.

I also recall my memories of the Christmas Eve parties. We would always go to my mother's to celebrate; there in the courtyard my mother would prepare a grand feast. I have never really had much money but I have always tried to enjoy myself. Another happy memory was New Year's Eve when, for every dong of the bell at midnight, we would eat one grape in hope of good luck for the next year.

The ship is now arriving at England and some people are alighting to see the towns. We are going to stay on the boat because we don't want to get lost, because we want to reach our destination.

17th of September 1962
Quite a few days have passed and my children have become accustomed to the boat, they know it like it was their own. The ship is very nice and luxurious. It has five top levels and seven lower ones. It has two pools of salt water, which are filled with sea water. They are cleaned every day.

21st of September 1962
We have finally arrived. I am not sure about the country, I am also scared, but if I want a happy life I am going to have to get used to it. I am worried about the kangaroos. Apparently they wander the streets and can even kill you.

Asuncion's thoughts on arrival in Australia

When I, Asunción Valentín, arrived in Australia, it was still young. Sydney wasn't like it is today. The large buildings did not exist and the Opera House was nothing but a tram shed.

I arrived with nothing, only my four children. I didn't want to be in Australia, I wanted to be with my family and my mother.

I've always lived in the country areas of Australia. I used to like travelling from NSW to Victoria. Queensland was my favourite state. I loved it because it never seemed that winter ever came. I loved being in the fields working with tractors just like any man could.

I loved living in the country . I was very happy with my husband and children. I worked all my life up until my eldest son died in 1987. Then I decided that it was time to retire to NSW.

Manuels's thoughts on arrival in Australia

I, Manuel Valentín, arrived in Australia six months after my brother did. Believing that life would be better, I left my family in Spain and came on my own to find a better life for my family. Without knowing a word of English, I found it very difficult to find work. My first job was in the Steelworks. It was still difficult there and also very hot.

After six months my wife and children arrived and I continued working in the steelworks for another five years.After that I went to Victoria to work on the farm as a tomato picker. We lived in a small house in Lancaster.

After that my wife, my five children and I went to Innisfail in Queensland to work cutting sugar cane. I used to drive a tractor with many wagons full of cane.

From there we went to Cairns, to work cutting tobacco. There I also drove a tractor with a wagon full of tobacco.

Three years later I returned to Victoria where I began a tomato farm. I was there for 15 years. Then we came back to Wollongong to work in the Steelworks.

The years flew by and today I am an elderly man and a happy pensioner.