Isobel Marion Lily de Rome (Flach)

b. 6 Apr 1919 d. 22 Aug 1986 m. 5 June 1948 Norbert de Rome b. 14 Dec 1919 d. 4 Nov 1997

Isobel and Norbert de Rome

Daughter of James Francis Frederick Flach and Lillie Helena Schwar

After serving in the WAAF during the second world war, Isobel married Norbert de Rome in 1948. They lived in Harrow and Ealing before emigrating in 1961 with their six children to Sydney, Australia. They paid only £20 for their passage by boat as the children went for free under the current encouragement for emigrants at the time! Norbert was a Quantity Surveyor and was accepted for a post in Perth. While on the boat, he received a telegraph message to proceed to Sydney as the manager there had died. This they did and set up home in Avalon, a beach suburb north of Sydney. Belle made many friends working as the local Avon lady and despite raising six children still found time to enjoy painting landscapes of the area and bodysurfing. The children flourished and have all remained in Sydney.

Susan is married to Grahame Martin and worked as a teacher in Avalon for many years until recently taking up a post managing the Education Department's `HSC Online' website. Grahame provides IT support for real estate property management software system. They live in Avalon overlooking Pittwater and Ku-ring-Gai Chase National Park.

Elizabeth lives in a heritage Victorian terrace in the inner city and works as a consultant writing training packages on social change issues. She has a son, David who is a helicopter pilot mustering cattle in the outback. David is married to Keryl and they have a son Stockley and are expecting another baby in November.

Barbara de Rome qualified as a librarian and worked in London for five years in her twenties doing library work in between extensive travel.On returning to Australia she joined Tourism NSW where after a number of years as Research Librarian she moved into information management and then sales and marketing. She was based in London for three years from 1993, managing international marketing for her organisation. Since then she has been responsible for Sydney tourism development and was involved with the Sydney Olympic Games along with thousands of others. Barbara is an opera fanatic and passionate about the music of Wagner in particular. Barbara would love to live in England if only they could improve the weather. In the meantime ,she misses Coronation Street but does manage to catch The Archers on the web! - thanks to the help of Martina and Daniel

Michael is married to Ros with three adopted children, Stephen 13 and twins Ben and Ethan 9 and is a civil engineer for a Pacific Power. Ros has a part-time job in a local school.

Valerie is married to Desmond Toms and is step-mother to two children, Georgina 14 and Matthew 11. She owns a law practice specialising in personal injury claims. Des is a professional fisherman taking paying clients on fishing trips in Sydney Harbour.

Paul is married to Liz Tesoriero with two children, Natalie 9 and Danielle 7, and is an associate director in Macquarie Bank's IT Division. Liz works part-time for a publisher. They live in the northern beachside suburb of Dee Why.

The De Rome Family in 2001

Grahame Valerie Michael Des Georgie Paul Sue Martina(visiting)

Steven Liz Ben Ros Ethan Matthew

Nathalie Liz Danielle