» Read the Spanish version of this story

Author: Amanda Bresolin
Storyteller: Ignacio, Teodora & Maria-Teresa
Community Language School: Wollongong Spanish School
Main School: Saint Mary’s School

My family’s memories of life in Spain.

MY GRANDFATHER
My grandfather’s name is Ignacio. He was born in Spain on the 31st of July 1926. My grandfather lived in a big house with many bedrooms. His house did not belong to his family. It belonged to his father’s company, which was at the railway station in Villafranca.

He lived with his four brothers, his sister and his parents. My grandfather got on with his brothers very well but not with his sister, as his sister wanted everything for herself. His parents loved them all very much.

They didn’t have a car, only a bike. Spain was very beautiful, but only for the rich, because in those days the poor had to work very hard to survive.When my grandfather was six years old, he had to start working because his parents were poor and had very little money. My grandfather worked on a farm, looking after cows and giving them food.

He worked 16 hours each day and didn’t get paid very much. At school, my grandfather did not have a very good time. The teachers were very strict, a lot more than they are now. When my grandfather didn’t do his homework, the teachers would hit him on his hands with a cane and they would hit him if he talked to his friends.

My grandfather left school when he was 10 because of the civil war. My grandfather enjoyed playing with his friends. He enjoyed playing ball games and liked to dress up and play Indians.

MY GRANDMOTHER
My grandmother’s name is Teodora but her friends call her Alcira. My grandmother was born in Spain on the 15th of April 1930 in a small town called Villafranca, Navarra.
She had two sisters, one older and one younger. She also had an older brother. Like my grandfather, my grandmother was poor and didn’t have much money. They lived in a small three-bedroom house. My grandmother enjoyed going to school. The boys sat on one side of the class and the girls sat on the other side of the class. When my grandmother was 17 she started working as a waitress in a bar. This job lasted for five years.

One thing my grandmother liked doing was singing. My grandmother had a very nice voice, and always sung with her friends. The town where my grandmother lived was very beautiful and everyone in the town got along very well.

When my grandfather was 23, he married my grandmother. She was only 19 years old. Two years later my mother was born.

MY MOTHER
My mother’s name is Maria-Teresa and she was born in Pamplona in a small town called Villafranca. She was born on the 15th of February. My aunty was born two years later on the 2nd of November – her name is Angela.

When my grandfather was 29 (my grandmother was 25, my mum was five and my aunty was three years old), he told my grandmother that he wanted to move to Australia. My grandmother was not so keen on the idea, but my grandfather insisted that there would be more work in Australia.

THE VOYAGE
They came to Australia on a ship called ‘Aurelia’. My mum thought the voyage was very enjoyable and there were heaps of things to do. They arrived in Australia on the 21st of August 1961.

When my grandparents and their two daughters left Spain they had to have a card, like a contract, to live in Australia. They thought there would be a house for them in Australia, but they were wrong.

They brought many memories of their life in Spain, as well as photos of their family and friends, and songs. My mother used to sing “La cucaracha”. She also recited tongue-twisters. She also brought recipes of her favourites dishes. My mother loves “churros”.