Two sisters are residing together again at a Bundaberg aged care facility, 70 years after they first lived together under the same roof as children.
Norma Williamson (92) and Audrey ‘Joy’ Huntly (90) now live just a few rooms away from each other and are overjoyed to be “two peas in a pod” once more at Carinity Aged Care facility in Kepnock, Queensland.
“When Norm and I were young, we stuck together like two peas in a pod. We had a lovely life, a happy life. She looked after me well – and she made sure I knew she was the big sister!” Ms Huntly said.
“I saw Norma living here and I wanted to be in the same place, and here we are.
“I can’t jump with both feet off the floor now, but I think I’d have jumped over the moon.”
Ms Williamson said, “I thoroughly enjoy having my sister live with me and I enjoy my time with her.
“She’s really good company and someone that understands our lives; what it was like and what it is now.”
Ms Huntly visited Ms Williamson soon after she moved to the facility earlier this year which prompted her to move in too after discussions with her family.
Carinity Kepnock Grove’s Customer Service Coordinator, Shantelle Wright, helped facilitate Ms Huntly’s move and said she got quite emotional during the process.
“When I did the tour of Kepnock Grove with the family a few months ago, it was so beautiful to see Joy and Norma together,” Shantelle said.
“I shed a few tears on the phone with Joy’s daughter, Sandy, when I was offering her the room. She was just so overjoyed. To know that the sisters would be together again was just amazing.”
The youngest of six, Ms Huntly and Ms Williamson were the daughters of grocery store owners Ogust and Nellie Soblusky.
When Ms Williamson was born, the family was living in a tent in her grandparents’ yard in Yandaran near Bundaberg, which was not uncommon during the struggles of The Great Depression.
While there may have been a lack of food and schooling, the Soblusky sisters’ lives were full of love and laughter.
The sisters moved to Gatton in their teenage years where they worked at the local agricultural college.
Ms Huntly later volunteered for the Red Cross for over 50 years, travelled around Australia and overseas with her late husband Alan, and danced internationally at square dance conventions.
While Ms Williamson did domestic work in hotels and worked in Bundaberg Base Hospital laundry.
Calling herself a “bushie from way back”, Ms Williams enjoyed fishing and camping trips with her former husband, Merv, and later her partner of 40 years, Bill.
Between them, the sisters have had six children, a dozen grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren – with another one due in April.
