Meet Marianne, a 10-pound Pom
15 DEC 09 @ 08:50PM BY ALEX WARD
Marianne Mcphee – Now living in Lane Cove
Marianne McPhee camped for two days outside a London travel agency to win the chance to become a 10-pound Pom.
The agency offered 150 British travellers with working holiday visas the 10 tickets to Australia as part of its 30th birthday celebrations.
Ms Mcphee, 23, now living in Lane Cove, determinedly queued outside the STA office near London’s Victoria Station to get one of the highly sought-after Qantas tickets.
“Camping on the streets of London was an experience” said Ms McPhee of sleeping in a tent.
“I still can’t really believe it has happened. I just bought a flight to Australia for 10!”
The term 10-pound Pom was given to British immigrants who travelled to Australia between the 1940s and ‘70s under an assisted-passage scheme. More than one million people journeyed to Australia this way.
An avid traveller, Ms McPhee plans to work in Sydney over the summer before exploring and working in other parts of the country.
Tourism Australia UK and Europe general manager Rodney Harrex said the promotion was to raise awareness of the working holiday visa among young Brits at a time when increasing numbers were looking to travel Down Under. – By Alex Ward
Marianne McPhee was born in London and has been a traveler throughout her life. She spent her summers in France and Spain on a boat, her teenage years living in the USA, and months backpacking through Europe and Morocco. She has spent eight months traveling through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia where she also taught English and then ventured to Australia for more exploration. She is a graduate from Boston University and currently works in the travel industry in London.
