I am Ann Margo. I live in Blybly, Queensland. I was born in Australia of Finnish ancestors.
My grandparents came from Finland. My father's family changed their name from Tienov to Sausari
because Tienov was too Russian and they didn't want to be associated with Russia, even by their names.
They came to Australia over a hundred years ago.
They then travelled up to Blybly and took a seven-year lease on a property at Image Flat.
My mother's family left Finland in 1899 and they travelled via London.
They boarded the ship the Orisaba in London and travelled to Australia and they arrived on the 23rd January 1900.
This is a Finnish memorial. We're here on Finnish Independence Day.
They were sculpted by Matty Varninen. He came out from Finland to do the sculpture and it was produced nearby on Bob Mantler's farm.
It depicts the early settlers in the area. They were coming from Finland and going across to Australia.
This was in the early 1900s. It's a very significant place for the Finnish people.
You can celebrate on special occasions like Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, the Winter Solstice Easter
and Finnish Independence Day, which is very important.
The land that the park is situated on was a part of my father, Josasari's cane farm.
This is a park to commemorate the organising committee.
My name is on here because I put up a photo display of early history from 1900 to about the 1950s of the Finnish farmers and their families.
I'm a patriotic Australian by birth. I'm also very proud of my Finnish heritage.
My wish is to keep our ancestors memory alive, to collect and record their history, my history, for our descendants, our children, to know their roots, to know their heritage.
