Reunion Story: Lesley Orenda
I was born in Brisbane and we moved a lot as kids as my Dad was a truck driver. My parents divorced when we were little, and I have one full sibling, my brother, to that marriage. My brother and I spent some time in a Children’s Home at Sandgate Qld, and I have been trying to find out why we were placed there. I came back to live with my mother when I was 11.
In the late 1970’s I came into contact with two women who were looking for my father. One of them said that she was his older sister, but I had very little contact with her again.
I contacted Community and Personal Histories at the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships to see if they had any information about my family or myself, and they had a little bit of information. In 2017 I applied to Link-Up (Qld) and became a client. Link-Up (Qld) have persevered and have brought me to the place where I am now – where I know I have family and I know some of my own family history.
My best friend Frank, and my sons Dwayne and Joshua accompanied me to my reunion to meet members of my family at Beaudesert Park in the centre of town. I wasn’t nervous at all, which surprised me. When Link-Up (Qld) staff members Anne and Alison turned up much the same time as my new cousin Sharron, it was if we were old friends already. Sharron was a total pleasure to meet and very easy to converse with. Sharron’s very keen to learn about the family, and she has a lot of information to share too, growing up with others from the family.
The next day I met up with more cousins and extended family and it was wonderful.
“It seemed as if I had known them all my life and I felt very comfortable with them.” – Lesley Orenda, Link-Up (Qld) client
A number of my cousins told me that I am the image of my (deceased) Aunty which was mind blowing for me. One of the cousins Matthew, comes from Kingaroy, just 20 odd kilometres from where I live.
We all visited the Beaudesert Aboriginal Cemetery together where we had a little ceremony for our great Grandmother Fanny Thorpe. Her gravesite cannot be located despite trying. Link-Up (Qld) provided beautiful rose petals and we all did a walk around the area and sprinkled rose petals for Fanny. It was very touching. There was lots of storytelling and sharing of family information, past and present.
We had a lovely lunch at the Beaudesert RSL and continued to find out more about each other.
The day after the reunion I did feel a bit sad as I was sorry that I had missed out on knowing the Uncles, Aunties and cousins that we spoke about during the reunion as I would of loved to have been a part of those stories.
But at last I felt like I belonged to a family. All these people are a part of me, and I have come home.
I have already caught up with Sharron Lucas at the Link-Up (Qld) Sorry Day Breakfast at Orleigh Park. Sharron was with me as a story was read out about our Grandmother Mary Ann Thorpe who was placed in Cranbrook House and we both went to the ‘My Dilly Bag’ Bushtucker Tasting in June.
I really feel that our family will keep expanding from now on as more relatives are contacted and I may eventually find out why my brother and I were put in the home at Sandgate.
I would like to thank all the amazing people who work at Link-Up (Qld) for all they have done in enabling me to connect with my family. Caseworker Sloane Stallan has been with me from the beginning and Counsellor Anne Garrett came on board and was with me during the last 2 odd years and was wonderful support. I would also like to thank Michelle Resuggan for helping me to have my story told at Sorry Day 2021.
I especially want to thank my new family for their kindness in accepting me, a total stranger, into their lives. I’m very privileged to have these people in my life and I look forward to meeting up with them again soon.
Lesley Orenda
Published June 2021.