Yvonne's Resilience Through Tough Times

“I was inspired by Yvonne’s inner strength because she has set goals for herself and made a purpose for her life, always striving to fulfill her duties and find peace,” says Gill Waminda Aged Care Centre’s (“Gill Waminda”) Lifestyle Coordinator, Leah Staples, of a recent resident to the Centre, Yvonne. “Yvonne has built up resilience to help her through the tough times.” 

Yvonne moved to Gill Waminda in August last year and, upon meeting her, Leah was struck by her full life and her spirit. “Yvonne faces adversity with her health but continues to seek friendships and purpose in life, despite reaching her 90’s and moving to another city,” Leah explains. Indeed, Yvonne has always been one to take on a challenge, this seen with her perseverance to receive a formal education, her career as an Accountant, and even time living overseas.  

Born in Sydney in 1931, Yvonne was born left-handed and notes that was treated differently at school because of this, recalling being corrected to use her right-hand. An avid lover of mathematics, upon leaving school, Yvonne was inspired to do an Accounting degree at Burroughs College. She notes that she chose to study and pursue a career as she was lonely as a child and wanted to meet like-minded people.  

Her degree was significant at the time because bookkeeping machines were becoming more advanced, and the industry was moving at a fast pace in terms of the advancement of technology; Yvonne’s degree in accounting and skillset were in high demand. 

Yvonne met her husband John, who was six months older than her, and she says that he was the “driving force” behind many of her life choices. Together they went on to have four children - three sons and a daughter. One of their sons had serious medical conditions but survived despite his struggles. 

John’s career as an Electrical Engineer on the railways in Sydney and then as an Industrial Engineer, took the family to Washington D.C. in the United States, with John working with the military for three years. During this time, Yvonne supported her husband with his work through the Australian Embassy and in diplomatic circles.  

While in Washington, Yvonne worked as an Accountant for the Australian Embassy for six months, whilst also raising her young family. During this time, the family travelled around the United States as much as they could. Yvonne even took to renovating houses and restoring vintage cars during this time. 

Living overseas had a dramatic impact on Yvonne’s life as she learnt how to socialise with those from other cultures and represent Australia at many significant functions. Throughout her various life experiences, Yvonne didn’t have a motto necessarily but clung to the inner strength she gained from resilience, self-confidence, and her determination to overcome adversity. Her advice for the next generation? “People need to change their attitudes if they want to get along in life," she says.