Anna Tran of Mingenew  |  100x70cm Giclée Fine Photographic Print by Martine Perret (2024)

"My name is Anna. This is my English name. My Vietnamese name is Truc, which means bamboo. I was born in Ho Chi Minh City.

My husband Lee was born in the northern part of Vietnam and came to Australia. He would come back between Australia and the south of Vietnam, where I am from. I am the only child of my family. I didn't want to live far away from my parents and for a long time didn’t want to move to Australia. I met Lee while I was going out with friends in Ho Chi Minh City. It took time for us to develop our relationship. We

were friends at first. We fell in love 20 years ago but I stayed in Vietnam. We got married in 2010. My daughter and I stayed in Vietnam with my parents. He was alone in Sydney and travelled between Vietnam and Australia. That was a difficult time. He enjoyed Sydney but decided to come to Western Australia.

We were trying to find a business and Lee saw an opportunity to take over the Mingenew Bakery advertised in the newspaper. He came here to check it out and told me it was great. We decided to try. I came to Western Australia in 2023. I'm a migrant and it was not easy at the beginning because my English was not very good. During high school and university I studied French.

We enjoy living in Mingenew. The bakery is very good and busy, and there is no time to sit down. The locals are very friendly. We do our best to open early and close late. Some people need to work early, like farmers and truck drivers. We are open every day for them. Everybody loves it and we are very happy. We like the environment and the countryside.

These days, I travel back and forth between here and Vietnam. I am applying for a visa for my parents to come here and stay with us. It would be so lovely if they could. Sometimes I miss my parents so if they come, that will help me feel better living here. We live at the back of the bakery, and we plan to have another house to rent for them. I also miss Vietnamese food.

It took me a long time to be convinced to move to Australia. Coming here was a little shock at first because Ho Chi Minh City is a big town. I now enjoy and feel good living here. People respect me and I feel the support of the community. The first time I came here, I thought it was so quiet. I was scared that it would be too quiet, too boring, but now I think it's really good.

At times I may feel a little isolated but I don't worry about that because I am so busy. I don't have much free time, but if I have time, I call my parents and relatives in Vietnam. I also work on my business. I opened a Study Abroad Consultancy company in Vietnam to send students overseas to places like Australia, the US and Canada.

I learn how to make cakes. My husband helps me and I also learned a lot by myself. I went to a school in Vietnam for this. My husband does beautiful things. I share many great stories with our customers and visitors. Especially during the tourist season. Many people come from around Australia. We made friends with the local Indian family and other locals. I'm happy because I don't need to live in the big city. I don't need anything more than my parents. Once they make it here, I feel this will make things very easy.

My daughter just arrived here. Although quiet, it’s perfect as she doesn’t want to be surrounded by too many people. She has autism and needs full-time care. My parents previously took care of her in Vietnam and were used to it. Now it is the first time my in-laws take care of her. It’s very difficult for them but they try their best to take good care of her. As there's no school for special needs students, I am trying to find a boarding school in Geraldton. That's difficult and I worry about it. I tried asking for help from companies who do that type of work but they say they don't have enough vehicles or staff.

I just want to know how to take good care of my daughter here and then help my husband grow the business bigger and better so I can enjoy the new life with him and our family. I love my business in Vietnam and I will continue to take care of it. When I go back to Ho Chi Minh City, I stay home with my family and go to my office.

My husband and I are working hard to provide the best business and help our daughter settle. We hope to get a little free time to enjoy life and maybe retire. I am not sure yet where I will retire. My husband likes Vietnam because he has a big family there. He lived alone here for so many years. For now, we enjoy being here and part of the community."