perth

Kirkby Reunion In Perth, Australia

The Kirkbyites reunion was held at the residence of Nellie & Joe Lau on Saturday 24 September 2005

The Kirkbyites from Malaysia were:
Adeline Frances Louis                  1959 - 1960
Amrit Kaur Gill                              1959 - 1960
Chia Soo Itt                                    1959 - 1960
Amy Grace Spykerman                1959 - 1960
Tam Kam Moon                            1959 - 1960
Chow Lye Meng & Spouse         1959 - 1960
                Foong Weng Yew
Lim Wee Hee                                 1959 - 1960
Yoong Yan Pin                              1958 - 1959
Cheah Phee Eng                            1960 - 1961

From Singapore:
Magdalene Yeoh Kim Peng       1960 - 1961

From Sydney:
Mimi Foo Saw Imm                      1959 - 1960
Jim Lee Chong Lay                      1958 - 1959
Mahinder Kaur & Spouse            1959 - 1960
                Harbir Singh
Nancy Varughese & Spouse        1959 - 1960
        John Dossan
Khoo Theam Kheng & spouse    1958 - 1959
        Grace

From Canberra:
John Daniel                                    1959 - 1960

From Perth:
Nellie Ong Suan See & Spouse    1960 - 1961
                Joe Lau
Oswald Schokman                         1959 - 1960
Paul Chong Ah Teng                    1959 - 1960
Lilian Lee Kok Lian                      1960 - 1961
Bathma Krishnasamy                   1960 - 1961
Wong Heng                                    1960 - 1961
Chris (Joseph) Menezes                1958 - 1959
Janet Perera Menezes                  1958 - 1959

In different groups we assembled at Nellie and Joe's place and straight away we warmed up to renew our acquaintances with warm embraces, hugs, laughter and riotous delight. It must be mentioned here that the spacious deck of the Lau's residence amply allowed us to chat and move around to catch up with each other's story. Nellie and family had organised the spread for lunch with great care and we were soon able to tuck into satay, meehoon and salad and dessert. After lunch the group went for a walk by the Swan River that is behind the house. The walk was most enjoyable and when we returned , the Lau family had reset the tables and chairs and tea was all ready to be served. Fortified with tea, coffee and cakes we yarned till dusk when dinner was upon us. The ever-efficient Lau family had dinner spot on time with a hot pot of "yong tau foo". Food and drinks were in constant supply throughout the day. By 8.30 pm and we reluctantly said our goodbyes to each other and took our leave. We can't thank our host and hostess (and their family) enough for organising and this gathering and opening their house to us in the most gracious way.

Nellie and Joe continued to ensure that we enjoyed the sights and pleasures of Perth for the following days that we were in Perth..
The next day, Sunday 25 September, Nellie was our tourist guide and took us on a cruise on the Swan River to Fremantle. Refreshing sea breezes and beautiful surroundings accompanied us all the way down to Fremantle from Perth. Like the typical tourists we headed for the Fremantle Sunday market where a few of us launched into a shopping spree. At lunch we were guided to "Cicerellos" seafood restaurant by Kam Moon's daughter (a resident in Perth) who drove down all the way from Perth. She is another person whose local knowledge helped us to enjoy our stay and we are equally grateful. Thanks Wai Lai. There were more markets to explore by the waterfront before we returned to Perth.
That night Oswald and John turned up at the Statton Appartments where most of us were staying. He brought along the recordings of the request songs he broadcasted in the local radio station that afternoon to commemorate the gathering of the Kirkbyites at Nellie's residence. Thanks Ossy.

The next day, Mon 26th Sept, the energetic Nellie met us at the railway station and took us by train and bus to the beaches. Lunch was at Hillary's harbour front amongst the locals who were out to enjoy their weekend. Travelling by train and bus we visited another seaside resort called Cottesloe and though the wind was strong by then, we still braved it to the waterfront to touch the Indian Ocean. In a lovely seaside cafe (opposite the Indiana) we warmed ourselves with refreshing tea. Another train ride took us back to Perth and by this time we were pretty familiar with Northbridge where all the restaurants with different cuisines are found. Inevitably we headed there for our dinner to end the day.

On the fourth day, Tuesday 27th September, Nellie and Joe came in 2 cars to show us other sights of Perth. At Kings Park we admired the beauties of not only the surrounding views but also the abundance of wild flowers. The wind was up and the rain showered now and then, but we pushed on with our program and even did the treetop walk. By the evening we bade farewell to Nellie and Joe in our apartment and each of us expressed our appreciation for all that they had done to make this reunion not only possible but also a memorable one. In parting we comforted ourselves in the knowledge that we will be meeting at the 2006 Reunion in Ipoh, God willing. Till we meet again!

Attached are some selected pictures taken during the reunion. Enjoy!

Cheers.

Jim, Mimi and Phee Eng