My cousin the superstar

Kathleen, the second of the Flynn girls who was sent to Canowindra Salvation Army Orphanage, on release travelled to Dubbo to her mother but left soon after and found work in a baby’s orphanage in Manly. Kathleen returned to Dubbo at age 23 and around that time gave birth to Julie out of wedlock and, overcome with shame, left again for the city.

Julie said her mother fell on rough times and as a consequence she was removed from her at 6, reunited a couple of years later and then removed again at 12 due to worsening conditions at home.

Reata, the third of the Flynn girls who was sent away to the orphanage, returned home, moved to Sydney where she met a Kiwi and travelled with him back to New Zealand. Reata then moved to Melbourne after the marriage failed where she still lives today.

It was at this point of the story that June Barker asked Julie to go and buy the book The Life of Riley’. Julie, accepting the advice, drove immediately to her public library where she borrowed the book. And in the book in question she found the names of the Flynn sisters.

June didn’t allude to the author of the book or her relationship to Julie but 308 tantalising pages later Julie confided she sat dumbfounded in her favourite lounge room chair on discovering that Lin was her first cousin; Ronnie’s daughter Stephanie who was adopted out at birth and had her named changed to Lin by her new foster parents. Lin also so happens to be the mother of Australia’s Olympic, Commonwealth and World Cup multiple swimming medallist Samantha Riley.

After arranging all the parts of the family’s jigsaw puzzle into some form of order Julie finally made contact with Lin via the Australian Institute of Sport who passed on Samantha’s manager’s number. Several calls later and Lin and Julie commenced their conversation.

The magic words of ‘This is Lin Riley speaking – Is that you Julie?’ lightened up Julie’s world immeasurably.

Julie said her first words to Lin were “You’re my real blood”.

Lin explained to Julie that she began her search for her mother Ronnie back in 2000 and was bitterly disappointed to learn she missed meeting her by only 3 weeks. It was her mother’s funeral notice in the Sydney Telegraph that had brought Lin in contact with her new found Aboriginal heritage.

McLauhlin, Betty Veronica (Ronnie)
May 24, 2000, late of Redfern, loved sister of Reata and loving friend of Tony, Beloved mother of Debra, Karen and Roberta.

Lin said she tracked her mother’s sister, Reata, in Hampton, Melbourne. After an energising 20 minute telephone conversation Julie obtained the telephone number of her missing Aunty Reata. To Julie’s amazement and sorrow her Aunty Reata resided only 20 minutes drive from her mother Kathleen who lives in Collingwood. Julie said within minutes of speaking to her aunty she made a call to her mother and locked in a meeting the next day for a reunion.

The following morning Julie caught a taxi to her mother’s small unit and sat impatiently as they drove in the general direction of her Aunty Reata. As they approached the house Kathleen spotted her sister and told the cabbie to stop. The cabbie said he couldn’t stop the car in the middle of the road and hastily locked all the doors from his control panel. On pulling up near the footpath in front of her aunty, Julie said her mother became agitated as she couldn’t undo her seatbelt and her long lost sister rushed to the cab and tried desperately to open the door from outside, without success. Eventually the seat belt was unclipped, the door unlocked and an instantaneous emotional reunion commenced between sisters who hadn’t seen each other for 49 years.