Geraldine Cox
Encyclopedia
Geraldine Cox is president and operator of the Sunrise Children's Village orphanage
in the province of Kandal
, in Cambodia
. She is the only Australia
n to have been granted Cambodian citizenship by a royal decree from King Norodom Sihanouk
.
Originally from Adelaide
, Geraldine Cox was posted to Phnom Penh
by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in 1970. While in Australia in 1993, Cox helped found the Australia Cambodia Foundation, which operates the Sunrise Children's Village. She moved to Cambodia permanently in 1996, to live with the orphaned children.
Cox is the author of the book Home is Where the Heart Is, an account of her life and the lives of some of the children she has cared for. She is also the subject of the documentary My Khmer Heart, made by Australian filmmakers Janine Hosking
and Leonie Lowe.
Below is the blurb that appears on the back cover of the book.
"More than anything, Geraldine Cox wanted to be a mother. Her dream came true; just not in quite the way she had expected. Home Is Where the Heart Is is the deeply moving story of a woman who found her true purpose in caring for Cambodian orphans - the tragic victims of three decades of war and destruction. Geraldine tells with warmth and humor of an extraordinary life that, while it never lacked excitement, sometimes lacked fulfillment before her involvement with the children of Cambodia. Her story begins with her Adelaide girlhood in the 1950s and 1960s, and includes her time working for Foreign Affairs in Cambodia and other overseas postings in the 1970s and 1980s.
However, the place closest to her heart was always Cambodia. In the mid-1990s Geraldine returned there to live. As one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Cambodian citizenship through Royal Decree, Geraldine paints a vivid picture of the country, and of the risks and joys of living there. Most importantly, though, she introduces us to her unforgettable children and shares their stories. Inspiring and uplifting, this is a book about how a mother's love can make a difference, and the surprises life has to offer."
Fifteen thousand copies have been printed and sold, and they are no longer available in book shops.
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in the province of Kandal
Kandal Province
Kandal is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Ta Khmao town . The province completely surrounds, but does not include, the national capital Phnom Penh...
, in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. She is the only Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n to have been granted Cambodian citizenship by a royal decree from King Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...
.
Originally from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Geraldine Cox was posted to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in 1970. While in Australia in 1993, Cox helped found the Australia Cambodia Foundation, which operates the Sunrise Children's Village. She moved to Cambodia permanently in 1996, to live with the orphaned children.
Cox is the author of the book Home is Where the Heart Is, an account of her life and the lives of some of the children she has cared for. She is also the subject of the documentary My Khmer Heart, made by Australian filmmakers Janine Hosking
Janine Hosking
Janine Hosking is an Australian documentary film maker. She won a Walkley Award in 1997 for a Seven Network television report entitled Tjandamurra, the story of Tjandamurra O'Shane.Hosking has made several other well received documentaries including:...
and Leonie Lowe.
Home is Where the Heart Is
Geraldine spent 12 months writing her first book, Home Is Where The Heart Is, and it was published and launched by Pan MacMillan in August 2000.Below is the blurb that appears on the back cover of the book.
"More than anything, Geraldine Cox wanted to be a mother. Her dream came true; just not in quite the way she had expected. Home Is Where the Heart Is is the deeply moving story of a woman who found her true purpose in caring for Cambodian orphans - the tragic victims of three decades of war and destruction. Geraldine tells with warmth and humor of an extraordinary life that, while it never lacked excitement, sometimes lacked fulfillment before her involvement with the children of Cambodia. Her story begins with her Adelaide girlhood in the 1950s and 1960s, and includes her time working for Foreign Affairs in Cambodia and other overseas postings in the 1970s and 1980s.
However, the place closest to her heart was always Cambodia. In the mid-1990s Geraldine returned there to live. As one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Cambodian citizenship through Royal Decree, Geraldine paints a vivid picture of the country, and of the risks and joys of living there. Most importantly, though, she introduces us to her unforgettable children and shares their stories. Inspiring and uplifting, this is a book about how a mother's love can make a difference, and the surprises life has to offer."
Fifteen thousand copies have been printed and sold, and they are no longer available in book shops.
External links
- Sunrise Children's Village orphanage official website
- Yellow Pages Cambodia: Sunrise Children's Village