Rita Schaad, Rural Coordinator, May 2025
Here in the Hunter and Newcastle, we're a scattered lot of Swiss folk in one of the rural sectors of the Swiss Community Care Society. We started our get-togethers over 40 years ago.
That was a time in the 70s when the influx of young Swiss folk meant that we’d often ‘bump into each other’ Down Under. And that happened even up here, north of Sydney. We shared addresses and phone numbers of other Swiss in the region, and it was such a thrill to meet. Some had young families and were still wondering where to find unsalted butter, nice cuts of meat and yeast to make ‘real’ bread.
Our get-togethers started as ladies’ luncheons. We made friends with these Swiss girls and compared notes on our reasons for the huge journey and relocation across the globe.
This generation had little trauma to deal with from the home country but was lucky enough to be the adventure and opportunity-seeking kind of emigrants to Australia.
But still, these were the times when it was not easy (or cheap) to phone home; there was no email and all that internet stuff was not even imagined. We wrote letters instead, and sent audio tapes with the chatter of our children … and received in return, current Märli (fairytale) tapes for the kiddies. So just for a little while, we newcomers could feel the vibe from where we grew up, until we either found what we were looking for - in terms of food stuff and clothes for the kids, or just got used to making do.
Our ladies’ lunch group met multiple times during the year, at someone’s home or in one of the many parks, when the families came along as well. In some years in December we met at the Stockton Beach shelters for a picnic and the Adventschranz (Advent’s wreath) workshop was introduced. Once in February we made Fastnachtschüchli (pre-Lenten carnival crispy fritters) and had our face painted by the young girls of the house, a reminder of the Fastnachts masks.
As years went by, and the men in our circle retired, some wanted to come along to the ladies’ lunches, and so we renamed it the LaLa lunch (Ladies and Lads)!
Nowadays we manage to see each other maybe twice a year. Other things have enhanced or disrupted our lives, like extended family duties or health issues, doctor appointments, hearing-aid fittings, dental reconstructions – you know the drill. So to find a date when it suits most people has become a bit of a juggle.
We’re still looking out for each other- everyone is getting older and needy in some measure. The young ones have made their own arrangements and have their own families. Life has changed!
With our families back in the old country, things can now be shared via Zoom or WhatsApp and the distances we ‘endured’ for some time have shrunk somewhat.
We are a positive but dying breed, and will keep on with as much as we can to stay in contact.
I hope you enjoy the following pictures of our activities, starting with fun making the Advent's wreaths!
- Rita.
Enjoying a lovely day on the lake shore with Egon, Rene, Max and Ruedi.
One of our creative and traditional activities at Easter time - painting the eggs.
And meeting in all weather!
And meeting in all weather!
And meeting in all weather!
At the beginning of May (2025) we met at the Saltwater Restaurant in Fingal Bay, just off Nelson Bay in Port Stephens. We’d been there before, and people from Newcastle enjoyed the opportunity of a little outing while others made the effort to travel from Gloucester, Clarence Town, the Central Coast and the Tanilba peninsula. We’d made the restaurant booking before the deluge that flooded the Hunter and North Coastal Regions, and were fortunate that on this particular day, the rain kept away till later.
And meeting in all weather!
And meeting in all weather!
We enjoyed a nice lunch and but for the cloudy, windy weather we might have enjoyed the gorgeous views too. Afterwards we were invited by Annette and Donald Bourquin for dessert in their cozy and generous Nelson Bay home. Next time we meet up it will probably be somewhere comfortable - and dry! (Annette pictured left.)