All You Need is Family, Marko and Petra Kljajic

It was a love of education that brought Marko and Petra together. Born in Bosnia, they met while working as teachers in a small village, creating a bond that would see them through 60 wonderful years together.

Born in a small village, Marko came from a poor family, but he was a very good student and worked hard to secure a good life for himself - becoming a teacher, a professor of psychology, and later a school principal. “After becoming principal, I continued teaching psychology at the school for many years,” said Marko, proudly.

Petra, in contrast, came from a wealthy family. They owned a factory and horses, and lived a wonderful life. During the Second World War, everything they owned was taken from them by force. Sadly, Petra’s father passed away in the war and at a very young age - 17 years old - Petra became a teacher.

Both Marko and Petra dedicated their lives to educating and nurturing young minds. “To this day, I still get messages - on Facebook - from mum’s students recalling how wonderful a teacher she was and that she was like a mother figure to them,” said their daughter, Gordana.

The couple married in 1965 and raised two daughters who pursued successful careers after finishing university - Gordana as a doctor and her sister, Snjezana, as a speech pathologist. They were well-respected members of their community, enjoying the life they had built. “We lived a very good life in Yugoslavia,” said Marko. However, their world changed dramatically when war broke out in 1992.

“The war was terrible and separated our family,” said Marko. Gordana left first, taking her children to Germany, while Snjezena’s husband had family in Australia, so they migrated there. 

Marko and Petra, desperate to see their newly born grandchild in Australia, went to Germany to apply for a tourist visa - but were refused twice. Wanting her parents to see the baby, Snjezana tried for a ‘family reunion visa’ from Australia, and they were accepted. 

Just before the war, Marko had bought bees and cherry trees to keep himself busy during retirement. “I enjoy nature and living life surrounded by nature,” he said. Marko sold it all to pay for the tickets to Australia. “We were only coming to visit - we hadn’t planned on staying,” Marko explained. “After two years in Australia, we decided to sell everything we had left in Bosnia and make Australia our home.”  

Marko turned 65 during their flight to Australia, and within days of arrival, he and Petra secured their pension, ensuring their financial stability. They urged Gordana to join them, and despite having recently settled in Germany, she made the difficult choice to uproot her life once again. With her husband's support, she and her family moved to Australia, finally bringing everyone together.

It took Petra a little while to warm up to Australia. “In the beginning, I didn’t like Australia, not even seeing it on a postcard - because my youngest daughter left us to go live far away. Once all our family were here together - it was good,” she said.

From the moment they arrived, Marko and Petra made Bossley Park their home. Gordana purchased a house there and built a granny flat for her parents, and Snjezana lived nearby. 

Marko, though he no longer drove, explored all of Sydney and beyond using public transport, often venturing out alone when Petra couldn’t join him. Petra devoted herself to caring for the family. “I kept the house clean and cooked - and the grandkids kept me busy,” she said.

“Life in Australia has been wonderful, and life is good - mostly because our family was complete,” said Marko, smiling. “We have two daughters, two sons-in-law, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.” 

Marko and Petra, at 92 and 91, are now enjoying their new home at SummitCare, especially the beautiful garden, but mostly the regular visits from family. “And I’m glad that we are coping with our old age quite well,” said Marko.

Marko and Petra lived through two wars, but resilience and a deep love for their family kept them focused, happy and healthy. “What makes me happiest, in my old age, is that we’re all together - we’re surrounded by family.”