Irene Ahin’s Story, Coming to Australia - Part Three

Following is part three of a three-part series of Irene Ahin’s biography as dictated by Irene to her computer class coordinator, Tom Moloney. Click here for Part Two.

We came on the ship SS Himalaya. When we arrived we were taken to a bedroom upstairs. Dad and Mum had to carry me up and down stairs in the flat. Brian went looking for a house because he saw it was too hard for Mum and Dad. Soon as he found a house, he called and they went to see it. It was a big house. It had four bedrooms and a large dining room and sitting room combined as well as a big garden.

The Doctor put me into Lady Duggan, the Red Cross home, so that Mum and Dad could have a rest for six months and then I could go home. He told me that I would be there for two months but I was there for one year. They wanted to see what I could do for myself. It was an extremely frustrating time for me. I had only a push chair and had to push myself everywhere I went, even in the garden, and it was hard to push. 

Eventually after one whole year I went home again. I was glad to be home. About one year later Dr Cawell got me a place at Rattray-Wood House when my Mother and Father couldn’t look after me anymore.

I had my own bedroom and some weekends I was able to go home. While I was here I used to go to St Mary’s Parish in East Malvern where I made a lot of friends. I worked at the Chelsea Centre for a few years and then I went to work at Scope’s South East Industries in Clayton for five years. At this time I was doing packaging. I left home at 6.30am and did not return until  7.00pm.

I worked until I was 55 years old, then I retired and could do other things. I could go to see my Mum more often.

I go to computer class every Monday at Prahran Neighbourhood House and attend Art Group there on Tuesdays as well. At a Moongala Art Exhibition I sold a seascape for $100. Another painting of mine sold for $80. My ambition is to sell one for $1,000. I am looking forward to the next exhibition as I have many more to sell. It would be great to have a studio of my own where I could paint to my heart’s content.

During the holiday break I created a new piece of artwork with acrylic paints. It is a landscape of a sunset across a lake with a rock and a tree in the foreground with three people in it. The sunset was very beautiful on the water with the rock and the tree and the people were standing there. Now that the landscape is finished, I am working on a seascape. Nobody else will know this scene because it is from my imagination.

I go to Charismatic prayer group every Friday night at St. Joseph’s in Malvern and I have made many friends. Now I go to St Kevin’s Church in Ormond each Sunday to Mass. David, Ann and her son Patrick take turns to walk with me to Church. They are all very good friends. Sometimes after Mass the Parish has a barbecue. I really enjoy being there and talking to everyone. Every year I go to the classical concert in the hall on St Kilda Road. The concerts are very lovely to listen to with the choir and the instruments. Sometimes I also catch the train to the city and I go to the Travellers Aids Access Service to socialise with the staff and clients.

One of my joys is my fish. In my glass tank I have two goldfish, two silver fish and a few other kinds. A number of snails help to keep the tank clean and some rocks and many kinds of plants. I love watching them and feeding them with frozen bloodworms and dried food and sometimes I buy them some live worms. I love my fish a lot.

Truly Inspirational

Irene dictated her story to me then typed it out herself from my transcription using single finger typing aided by a delayed key stroke. Over time, with the assistance of various Scope occupational Therapists, we modified her keyboard and working position. We also made use of a program which saved her vocabulary, presented a choice as each letter of the word was typed, which was then selected by a function key.

This sped up her typing to enable her each session to add a number of sentences to her story. She is truly inspirational.

Tom Moloney Monday Computer
Class Co-ordinator
Prahran Neighbourhood House