By Emma Gerrett, ACVVS

Herta’s story begins long before Australia, in a childhood shaped by both joy and hardship.

As a young girl in Berlin, she skated on frozen rivers and tobogganed down snowy hills.

But history was shifting around her.

Her parents had already endured World War I, and Herta herself would live through World War II.

After bombings, women were gathered onto trucks and taken into devastated streets.

They marked damaged areas and brought soup to those in need.

If anything was left, they might eat too.

Men cleared rubble so they could pass.

Many families were separated, with loved ones away in camps for years.

Her family home was spared - something she never took for granted.

Her mother would rise early to collect potato peelings from nearby French barracks to cook, while any vegetables they grew were carefully traded.

“Women did everything,” Herta recalls.

“People don’t understand.

"They see it on the horror box - the television - but it was not like that, I have been there and lived it.

“Once you have been through war, you look at everything in life differently.”

These experiences shaped her, not with bitterness, but with strength, humour, and perspective.

When Herta arrived in Australia, she carried very little English but enormous determination.

Like many migrants, she began at the Bonegilla Migrant Camp before being sent to work at Bruck Mills in Wangaratta, where she started building her new life.

Her life soon included Bill, practical, capable, and kind.

Together, they bought a house that was almost falling down and slowly rebuilt it room by room.

Sometimes there were no walls.

Sometimes they lived in just one finished space while the rest remained mid-repair.

But they kept going.

The final nail went in, it was fully paid for, and they were incredibly proud.

Bill could turn his hand to anything, and one of his great passions was restoring old cars.

He lovingly restored a 1928 Ford Model A they named Lizzie.

Lizzie took them on adventures across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania - even all the way from Kingaroy to Alice Springs.

Herta still smiles as she remembers the sunrise over Ayers Rock.

Years later, life brought new connections.

Fifteen years ago, on one of her beloved coach trips to Melbourne to see musicals, Herta met Colin, the coach driver.

Friendly, steady, and always up for a chat, he quickly became more than just a driver.

Over time, Colin became a dear friend.

Today, he still visits for a cuppa and a catch-up.

If something needs fixing, he’s onto it.

If the lawn needs mowing, he brings the mower.

But most importantly, he brings laughter, kindness, and enduring friendship.

Then, quite by chance, came Sally.

Sally grew up in Monegeetta, where she and her husband Andy ran merino sheep and cattle.

She worked for the Department of Conservation, with a deep love for the land.

Her father had a dream, to restore forest in the Strzelecki Ranges.

As a family, they planted 100 acres of mountain ash.

Holidays were spent planting, tending, and protecting the young trees.

They were the labour force, nurturing something that would outlast them all.

Later, Sally and Andy moved to a hobby farm in Milawa, a community she found incredibly welcoming.

One day, while driving, Sally heard the Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme (ACVVS) mentioned on the radio.

Something about it stayed with her.

She signed up - and that’s how she met Herta.

She listens.

She cares.

She laughs.

She creates space for stories of resilience and survival.

And somewhere between the cups of tea, something special has formed.

Three people.

Three very different lives.

Brought together through kindness, curiosity, and simply showing up.

Herta reflects on life with quiet wisdom.

Having lived through hunger, migration, and rebuilding, she sees things differently.

“People worry about nothing, things not needed in daily life,” she said.

She believes deeply in effort before reward: “Life, you have to put in first before you take out.”

And with a laugh, she adds: “And I can still touch my toes!”

A volunteer who shows up.

A friend who fixes the tap.

A shared cup of tea that becomes shared history.

An inspirational Herta.

A caring Sally.

A loyal Colin.

A beautiful reminder that connection can happen at any stage of life and sometimes, the most meaningful friendships begin with a simple cup of tea.

The Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme (ACVVS) has been running in our region for over 30 years, thoughtfully matching volunteers with older residents interests, building genuine, lasting friendships.

If you have a little spare time and are looking for something truly meaningful, consider becoming a volunteer visitor.

For more information, call 1300 843 236 or email acvvs@thecentre.vic.edu.au.