I must admit, reading about the history and back-ground of some people is most interesting.
It brought back memories of my own parents and family, and their struggle and eventual success in their "new country".
The journey began with my parents arriving by ship, from Italy back in 49'.
Once here, their sponsor had organised a corrugated iron, "cubby house", (an ex wood shed) as their first accommodation.
It had potato sacks (without the potatoes in them) for the floor and over the otherwise open front of the structure.
I came along in 1950, by now they had moved into a house.
Not long after they set up a shop in Beaufort st in Perth, the usual scenario, living upstairs, the shop downstairs and as was customary at the time, even if the shop was closed, you would still entertain anyone, for fear of losing a sale.
Dad found work with a local shire council, who later found him a job based on his profession rather than on the "chain gang", which was mechanic and engineering at a GM dealer called Youngs WA in Stirling st Perth, as the deli was more mum's passion.
During the next ten years, I was dispatched to board at a local catholic school, called Aquinas College, dad built a new house, bought an industrial block, established his own engineering business eventually supplying transport and other equipment to the mining and transport industry.
I started my own coarse in 80', leaving my younger brother to continue in my stead.
In 83' I started my own auto design/engineering business, which led me to design/create/supply vehicles and products throughout Australia and also a few overseas countries, along the way having met and dealt with all manner of people and places, from Saudi in the middle East to establishing a production facility as a joint venture partner with the Malaysian govt.
I confess that the reason I malign Australia and it's workers, is that I attribute my success to my international business, and less to the absolutely hard fought struggle to my Australian achievements.

Yes, Altrav, we all have interesting backgrounds.

Great that your family came here and prospered, and that you have a great interest in curent affairs.

Despite our different backgrounds, we all have the latter in common.