Summary

Photograph of Susan Leech standing in her back yard in Sandringham, Melbourne, circa 1954. Susan had migrated with her parents Eileen and James Leech to Melbourne from England in 1953 and they returned to England in 1956. The family first lived at 19 Nelson Street Sandringham and then moved for the majority of their stay in Melbourne to 130 Dandenong Road Frankston.

James and Eileen Leech and their two and a half year old daughter Susan migrated from Manchester, England in November 1953 under the ten pound assisted migration scheme on the ship 'New Australia'. James, who had served with Australian soldiers during World War II was drawn to Australia while Eileen, with strong family ties, was reluctant to come. James was employed in his field as an optical mechanic and they lived in Sandringham and then Frankston. While James loved the new lifestyle, Eileen's homesickness led to depression and when she became pregnant, the family returned to England in January 1956 on medical advice. Eileen's mother loaned them the funds to relocate but James never fully recovered his disappointment at leaving Australia and the years living with Eileen's family while repaying the loan put a strain on the whole family. Eileen, who at one time had considered migrating to Australia, returned for the first time in 2014.

Description of Content

Young girl standing in a back yard.

Physical Description

Black and white photograph

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