West End CONNECT, Diversicare’s respite centre, is fostering a 65-year long friendship between Polish respite attendees, ninety-one year old Leonarda Nurzynski and ninety-four year old Anna Baczynski.
The two have been life-long friends since immigrating to Australia with their families aboard the Italian cruise-liner SS Roma, in the aftermath of a war-torn Europe.
Leonarda migrated with her husband Waclaw, and her two children Joseph and Janina and Anna with her husband Joseph and twin boys, Joseph Junior and Kazi.
Both have fascinating life stories, firstly of the hardships they encountered during and after World War II in Poland and migrating to Australia in 1950.
Leonarda and Anna first met working in the kitchens of the Wacol Migrant Centre before they finally both settled in homes a few streets away from each other in Darra.
They became firm friends and later, they started working together at the Golden Circle Cannery, getting up at 5.00am each morning to take the train to Northgate.
Waclaw and Joseph took jobs laying roads and working at the cement works at Darra and both families would socialise together at the Polish Club at Darra.
Leonarda and Waclaw went on to have two more children George and Wally and Anna and her husband Joseph had a daughter, Teresa.
Their friendship has endured through the years of raising children, working, retirement and then the death of their husbands and the two still keep in contact at West End CONNECT whenever they can.
Here they catch up on their news, take part in activities and craft and visit Brisbane landmarks.
Both are remarkably sprightly and active for their age with engaging smiles and just happy to be in a country which has led them to a better life for themselves and their families.
