Summary

Certificate of Service issues by the Royal Air Force, England to Brenda Burnett (later Sanderson) for her employment period at the rank of Junior Technician from 3 October 1959 to 11 August 1962. The certificate indicates that Brenda had trained and been employed as a cornet player with the central band of the Women's Royal Air Force and had resigned due to marriage. Brenda migrated to Australia from England in 1971 with her family and brought this certificate with her.

Brenda (born 25/2/1942) and Jack Sanderson lived in Bradford, Yorkshire, England and decided in 1970 to migrate to Australia with their children Ian and Lesley (born 31/5/1966). They successfully applied for assisted passages and travelled onboard the Australis in November-December 1971. Lesley was five years old at the time and recalls attending school classes with her brother on the ship and winning a 'Knitting Nancy'. Jack shot film of the family's voyage on 8mm film and their early years in Australia (held in the Museum's collection).

The family settled in Johnston Street in Abbotsford, Melbourne. Jack worked at the Yarra Falls Textile Mill; the company had probably sponsored the family's migration and they did not stay at a migrant hostel. The entire family became Australian citizens at different times - Jack in 1987 as he was going on a cruise and wanted an Australian passport; Brenda during the 1990s and Lesley in 2009 for the convenience of having an Australian passport. She was required to sit the citizenship test.

Physical Description

Hard blue cover with black lettering on front, 12 lined pages within with handwritten anotations.

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