As an 83-year-old Dubliner living in Australia, I have been reflecting on the Ireland which first brought me here more than 50 years ago. I was born and raised in Dublin, where I trained as a general nurse and midwife.In the 1960s, my work as a midwife took me into the slums of Dublin, where I encountered some of the poorest people, living in deprivation in Corporation Place and in other Dublin homes. The rigid controls and laws set by the Irish State, and reinforced by the Catholic Church, made it difficult for me to improve the lives of my patients.Women in Ireland had very few rights at that time. A woman’s place was said to be in the home, and married women were forbidden from working in many professions. [ I never thought I wanted to live in Australia and now I’m struggling to leaveOpens in new window ]Thus, after three years working as a district midwife , with few opportunities for promotion, I emigrated to Australia in November 1969. The intense heat and brightness were the first things that struck me when I stepped off the plane in Melbourne to begin my new life as a “ten-pound pom”.When I walked into the sitting room in the nurses’ home of The Royal Women’s Hospital in Carlton, I was greeted by a group of Irish and English women who had also made the 12,000-mile trip to the other side of the world. Despite the company of terrific women, some of whom have remained friends, I was initially lonely, and missed my friends and family back home. My new life in Melbourne saw my social life rapidly improve, and with that, my courage increased. The Carlton cinema was around the corner, and although some of the movies were censored, they showed a wider variety than in Ireland. The tram stop outside my front door took me to the heart of the city, where I enjoyed plays such as Mother Courage and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar. One of the highlights of the social calendar was Melbourne Cup Day, when we would get dressed up in our finery for a day at Flemington Racecourse.After two wonderful years in Australia’s cultural capital, I travelled back to Dublin. This trip home, however, made me realise I could no longer live the restricted life I had once tolerated.So I came back to Melbourne. Here, I was immediately offered promotion to management level. This was one of many opportunities I got in Australia which I don’t think I would have had in Ireland back then. [ ‘I think I’ll go’: She left for a ‘jaunt’ to Australia and didn’t return for 40 yearsOpens in new window ]As a single 30-year-old woman, I was even able to get a bank mortgage – and so I bought a house. I took up adult education, and learned a version of history and politics not taught in most Irish Catholic schools.Australian tertiary education became free, and so I gained a diploma in nursing and midwifery education and later a graduate diploma in child development. While Dublin is a changed new world, and it is still wonderful to catch up with family and friends, Australia is now my homeMy next step up the ladder was as a nurse and midwifery educator. I taught general student nurses at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and midwifery students at the Royal Women’s Hospital. And so I returned to Ireland for a third time, now with my extra qualifications, intending to resettle. But the same controls and prejudices remained set in stone. Sometimes I felt that I was the only person open to change. And so, I moved permanently to Australia in 1976, where I married and raised two daughters. As a family, we visited Ireland many times for holidays. Our daughters identify with my homeland and are able to carry off a Dublin accent. But the welcome changes to Irish laws came too late for me. By then I was an Aussie. [ Who is Marina Sologub, the Irish woman whose Australian visa has been cancelled?Opens in new window ]While Dublin is a changed new world, and it is still wonderful to catch up with family and friends, Australia is now my home. After having a short story published 30 years ago, writing became a hobby, and I belonged to several writing groups in Australia. My skills developed over the years through longer stories and letters to newspapers. Now, at the age of 83, I have published my first novel.It tells the story of a young woman in 1970s Dublin, determined to carve out a future as a nurse/midwife.Bridget Hertaeg is a retired nurse and midwife from Dublin. Her first novel, The Belfast Express, has been published under her pen name Brigid Carrick. brigidcarrick.comAre you Irish and living in another country? Would you like to share your experience in writing or by interview? You can use the form below, or email abroad@irishtimes.com. Irish Times Abroad submission guidelines here. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with the latestSign up to The Irish Times Abroad newsletter for Irish-connected people around the world.