BA3424/193: Rick Skender with his mother Zarka Skender, Carnarvon, May 2019

Summary

Photographer's note: Zarka Skender’s husband George left Croatia in 1959 in search of a better life in Carnarvon - a place they’d heard about with fertile soil and a warm climate on the west coast of Australia. Four years later, Zarka and their young son, Rick joined George here. “Carnarvon used to be a little part of Europe in those days”, said Rick. “Aussies were growing bananas here but there was a large influx of Slavs, Italians and Portuguese in the 50s and 60s. Then runner beans became the biggest crop, with produce being sent to all the major cities across Australia directly from Carnarvon…Mum worked like one of the men, then went inside to prepare meals and do the rest of the house duties.” Zarka and son Rick amongst their mango trees on their Carnarvon plantation. May 2019.