Femmes of five generations

Casey Jarrett, Zoey Jarrett, Frieda Movric, Wendy Lynch, Lyla Jarrett and Laurel Harraghy. 193023_04 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

The birth of identical twins Lyla and Zoey has added an amazing fifth generation of females to a close-knit clan in the South East.

Preceding them are their mother Casey Jarrett, of Cranbourne, their grandmother Laurel Harraghy, of Hampton Park, and great-grandmother Wendy Lynch and great-great-grandmother Frieda Movric, both of Doveton.

Each member of this “strong-minded” family have grown up in the South-East, says a proud Ms Lynch, who cares for Ms Movric at home.

Of course, each of them love the new-born twins. Often being dressed in the same clothes, the girls are hard to tell apart, Ms Lynch said.

“They’re good babies, they sleep well and they’re always together.

“You see them looking at each other all the time.

“They had baby photos done and everyone thinks they’re dolls – that they’re not real. They’re just so gorgeous.”

When Ms Lynch grew up in Doveton, she was the only girl among five brothers.

In contrast to now, her Austrian-born mother and Croatian-born father Ivan Movric arrived in Australia, bringing no family with them at all.

Her late dad had been a “freedom fighter” in Croatia. During the civil conflict, his brother and father were taken away and never seen again.

He fled to Austria, where he met his future bride Ms Movric. When they arrived they travelled widely, following work opportunities.

Their children were born in Dandenong, Koo Wee Rup and Mt Gambier.

When Ivan landed work at the Nissan factory in Dandenong, they settled in Doveton. Ms Movric has lived at the same address for the past 50 years.