Today's golden age portrait is of elegant, Teresa who is 93.
Teresa was beside herself with happiness to be having her picture taken. She was even more thrilled when I asked if she wanted to dress up, & was dancing around the studio.. she is amazing!
Born in Basque Country, Spain in 1930.
She grew up in a quiet fishing village with her Mother, father and two younger brothers.
When WW2 began, fascist dictator Franco increased suppression in Basque Country. Their quiet village was taken over by Spanish soldiers, who banned use of Euskera the ancient Basque language.
At 7 years old when speaking to her toddler brother in the street, she was slapped across the face and told to speak the Christian language (Spanish). Their days and nights were filled with bomb sirens and evacuations as German Luftwaffe bombed the neighboring village of Gernika (as depicted Pablo Picassos painting).
As she grew into adulthood, her cousin (along with many other Basques) fled fascist Spain to work in far north Queensland’s cane fields. By letter she started to communicate with his friend Julian who also worked in the cane fields, as destiny would have it he was originally from a neighboring Basque village.
She came to Australia in 1960 to meet him, and by the end of the year they had been married (at St Mary’s cathedral Sydney) and they were expecting their first child.
Not long after the birth of their second baby, Julian’s health rapidly deteriorated. He was diagnosed with Leukemia and within weeks he was gone.
She was a young woman, alone in a new country, with minimal English, needing to support her young children. She worked numerous jobs: opening a fish & chips shop at Darlinghurst, a laundromat at Bondi, cleaning houses and working as a tea lady at Parliament House.
In the early 70s she met and married Reuben. They eventually retired and realized their dream of having their own eco farm in the Forster region. Then relocated to the central coast in 2003. Reuben passed away in 2018, she misses him every day.
Over her life, she has amassed an amazing number of friendships with people of all ages and backgrounds.
She is a proud Australian and Basque woman. She tells her grand children (9) and great grandchildren (8 so far) how lucky we are that our story brought us to Australia. She has an infectious smile, the warmest heart, at 93 she still dances, sings, socializes, plays along with the great grandchildren. She says that even though the start of her life had hardship, she has been given extra time at this end of her life for even more joy, gratitude and love
