Ginette was born on a small island in The Seychelles located on the eastern edge of the Somali Sea, growing up with her parents and her 14 siblings! Ginette is the 7th child in her family, born between 4 older brothers and 4 younger brothers. Her father worked on a train in Africa and would tell her and her siblings captivating stories of that country, particularly watching the wild animals run alongside the train as it travelled. A highlight of her time on the island was dedicated to the chapel that stood on her family’s property. The chapel was being used as a school for younger children that could not get to school, so Ginette and her siblings used to work and help at the chapel in her free time.
The high altitude in Africa was beginning to make her father sick, forcing him to leave his work in Africa and move back to Seychelles. Looking for work, her two brothers moved to Australia, sending a letter back to Seychelles to inform them that not only was there work for her father, but for the women in the family as well. Together, they travelled for 4 weeks via a large boat, stopping in India before arriving in Sydney Australia. Here, Ginette fell in love with the beach and would travel to Manly beach with her siblings every weekend. ‘I loved Manly, it’s a beautiful place and I loved catching the ferry over there.’ Says Ginette.
In Australia, she met the love of her life, Frank at an Irish club she would frequently go to. Their love blossomed and they had three beautiful children together. ‘He was the best man on earth.’ says Ginette. After celebrating 60 wonderful years of marriage, Frank has now sadly passed away. Ginette resides with her daughter Ginny, enjoying her crosswords and relaxing at home. She cherishes the conversations she has with her support workers, joyfully recounting tales of her childhood over a hot cuppa.
