'Emigration is not for the faint-hearted'
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Wednesday Oct 28 2009
When the architectural firm she had worked with for 10 years was seeking redundancies, Ingrid Kirk decided to take the plunge. The Bray-based mother had worked full-time since children Rosemary (5) and James (3) were born and she wanted to spend some time with them. "It was summer 2008 and I intended working on small extensions and other projects from home," she explains.
Then the recession hit her husband Stephen's landscape gardening business and the family's plans changed.
"I didn't want to leave Ireland but Stephen felt we would have a better lifestyle in Australia.
"As the economic situation worsened and I couldn't get another job, we realised we didn't have a choice any more."
The couple both received permanent skilled visas and moved to the seaside town of Dunsborough, South West Australia, last February.
"As soon as we arrived Stephen hunted for work. From mining in the north, to grape picking in the south, he looked everywhere but there were either no jobs, or just temporary work at very low wages. Emigration is not for the faint-hearted," says Ingrid, who didn't find work as an architect either.
After some difficult months Stephen's landscape gardening business finally took off.
"It's a small town and his reputation keeps growing. Now he needs an assistant and that's me," says Ingrid.
"I do mostly weeding and pruning and when we do planting I get to make the choices and locate the plants, which is creative at least."
The architect turned gardener is enjoying her new career. "I plan to do a course in plant recognition at the local college so I don't call every tree a eucalyptus.
"There are a few architectural projects I could pursue but I don't have the time at the moment.
"I am a mother first, a gardener second and a wife somewhere in between," says Ingrid, laughing.
Irish Independent
