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Rowley/Royle Evatt Family

Mathew Royle Evatt was searching for somewhere to call home, and he believed that could be Australia. But did a trial week convince his fiancee?

Mathew Royle Evatt joined the army when he was just 16, but after ten years of active service he was ready to swap his military career for married life and believed Australia was the perfect place to do it.

But for his fiancee Philippa Rowley the thought of leaving everyone she loved in the UK to start a new life on the other side of the world was a scary prospect. So was a week sampling everything the country had to offer enough to help secure Mathew the future he so desperately wanted for them?

Mathew and Philippa were childhood sweethearts. They met at school, but with Mathew signing up to the army a few months later their relationship got off to a rocky start. He was away almost all the time and in dangerous corners of the world. It was a very uncertain time for the couple, but love blossomed and with plans for their wedding under way Mathew was ready to give up his army career for a more stable life with Philippa - and he believed that could be in Australia. He had fallen for the country on a brief visit with work ten years previously.

But Philippa wasn't convinced. They knew they wanted to start a family soon, and the prospect of doing this thousands of miles from the people she already shared her life with was too much for her to comprehend. Ultimately the choice for Phillipa was between the man she was about to spend the rest of her life with and her family. Mat had a battle on his hands.

So twelve months later, it's time to find out if the couple are living in Lancashire in the UK or in Perth down under?

45 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Nicki Chapman
Executive Producer Paul Connolly
Production Manager Joy Hines
Series Producer Jacqui Berkeley

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