True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach

The nostalgia continues.....

Before coming to Australia mum had been in touch with an Icelandic couple that had emigrated to Perth in 1967. Mum got the contact through the usual channels in Iceland - a friend of a friend of a friend. This would be extremely significant to our future in Australia. In those days all immigrants were "processed" at Villawood in New South Wales (Sydney), thankfully - as we had this contact in Perth we did not have to go there. Olga and Kristinn were so wonderful - they had organised employment for dad, a place for us to stay as soon as we got there and what was best of all they met us off the boat. Olga and Kristinn had moved to Australia with Olga's two sons Sigurþór and Tryggvi, they then had a child of their own in Australia - Jon Erik.

Olga was to become my nieces grandmother...

This classic 1970's look is taken in our front garden - mum and Olga

Alot of our early years in Australia was spent at the beach - we loved the beach - we just lived a little too far away from it. Nevertheless this did not stop our often daily excursions to the water side. This photo is from Cottesloe beach - I would later live just up the road - see those big trees - my place was just behind them. Mum being a bathing beauty attired in the appropriate attire for the day.

As I said - we spent a lot of time on the beach. Dad made this rig for our "daily" excursions - ie the weekends where we literally spent the whole day on the beach. As you can see the dog was always with us.

I think that I can safely say that these were the best of days.

Well as people do - my siblings started to get married. First my eldest brother who had stayed in Iceland married the love of his life Sigríður (I was very little at the time and was super happy that he married a woman that had the same name as me). We found out by telegram - remember them - they were the fastest type of communication way back then - probably took a day.... Helgi and Sigga are the parents of my best friend nephew - Maggi nephew Gunni (the one that has aged me by making me a "great aunt" and niece Kristín.

Then brother number two got married - he found himself an Icelander in Australia - yes there were a few of us there. Lóas parents had moved to the north of WA to work at the Iron Ore mine Valdimar her father drove one of those huge ore carrying trucks. Jon and Lóa are the parents of Maja and Valdi

Then Unnur married her Thor - the son of Olga, they met almost on arrival - Unnur 14 and Thor 16, they became the best of friends then fell in love and are now still the best of friends - what more can you ask for? They are the parents of Kristinn, Olga and Anna. I don´t have a wedding photo - haven´t raided mum's albums yet - but found this lovely one of them and the first born

The youngest of the brothers - still my big brother - Hilmar (who is my personal hero), did what no parent probably wanted at the time - he joined the army.... I am not even sure if the Vietnam war was finished when he joined up - but he was only 16 and joined as a cadet in high school and then went on into apprenticeship school with the army. He was going to be a carpenter... well alot of water has gone under the bridge since this photo was taken, he became a machinist fitter

and then found his way into air frame fitting and helicopter - plane mechanic... but just take a look at this - how cool was he....???

He still is ofcourse. He found the love of his life in Wagga Wagga... Sandra was in the air force but was also from Perth - well that's where her family lived. She too was an immigrant like us - but from the more exotic Burma - a real beauty and they are the parents of Jon David Albert, Nicholas Mark and Dorian Magnus - all really great names I think... but then i am probably biased - they are the cutest of all my nephews... sorry guys - just got to tell things as they are.

I think though looking at this photo none of the above mentioned folk will be impressed with me - but hey - it was the height of fashion then. The other lady in the photo is I think aunty Barbara - but I am probably wrong and will change this as soon as someone tells me....

Moving to Australia meant that we left alot behind and missed out on a lot of things... Helgi's wedding just being one of them. What I think my parents missed the most though was the family... Number one being their eldest son. Not being there to help and support him during his maritime education, his wedding, his finding a home and starting a family. As I said in my last post mum and I made the trip in 1975 and mum got to see her dad for the last time on his farm. A man that I think she finally managed to reconcile with - in a way...

the photo - full of orbs (thinking of you Maria) is of Helgi Magnusson (my brother), Helgi Jóhannsson (my grandfather) and Magnús Helgason - my nephew with ma.

Later mum and dad went to Iceland together - so they had the chance to see dads mum and dad again. This photo could really have been taken in Australia - given the fence and the trees in the background. Am not sure where it was taken but this is my dad Magnús Jónsson, his father Jón Björnsson and ma.

What was there in Australia - why didn't they move back before 1987 - well one of the reasons was my dad's love of gardening - and by gardening I mean being able to grow your own fruit and veg in the back garden - all year round:

Dad loved his garden and we loved him for it - all of us - I am sure that Valdi and Maja and the other grandchildren have fond memories of going out the back and getting fresh strawberries, mandarins, oranges, apples, almonds, grapes - whatever was is season.
And for me this was home... our house in Banach Street...