‘Grown men were sobbing’: the story of a refugee family who survived war and pirates to build a life in country NSW

The Do family in Sydney in February 1976, soon after arriving in Australia. Minh (standing left) and Deanne Do (standing right) with their three children and friend Phieu Chau and his uncle Photograph: Deanne Do

When Deanne Do gave her retirement speech at the Tong Fong Oriental restaurant in the New South Wales country town of Coonamble, grown men were “sobbing” as she recounted her family’s harrowing journey to Australia.

It had been 35 years since her family bought the small town’s only Chinese restaurant. But after numerous failed attempts to sell the business before they retired, it was now closing down. The restaurant was packed for the farewell party.