Al-Ghossain Family in Australia
The Story of Roumanos M. al-Ghossain by Raymond Farid al-Ghossain (Gossayn)
Romanos Mousy (Moses) Younis Massoud Younis al-Ghossain (Gossayn) was born in Hadath al-Jubbeh 1896. He married Yumnah Zaytoun Chedrawi in 1921. Yumnah Chedrawi was the daughter of Yaqoub [Jacob - nicknamed Zaytoun] and Shmona Chedrawi.
In 1924, Romanos boarded a boat heading to South America. The boat stopped at the Gold Coast (Ghana), to replenish its coal supply. It was whilst there that Romanos met up with Eid Leba Chedrawi, one of his friends, who convinced him to stay in Ghana rather than continuing to South America. Romanos agreed.
After a severe illness, caused by the tropical climate of the Gold Coast, Yumna was advised by doctors to take her children and move back to Lebanon. She complied, and never saw her husband again. She brought their children up under the guardianship of her brother-in-law Doumit, Romanos’s brother.
Romanos was a merchant and a gambler, highly respected for his honesty and his extreme generosity. There was a saying in Ghana that Romanos’s reputation was ‘like a gold coin’; it was collateral for future generations.
Romanos lived the greatest part of his life in Africa. Finally, he moved to Australia where he spent his twilight years with his children who had settled there.
Romanos and Yumnah had one daughter, Alia, and three sons, Farid, Toufic and Neif.
Alia Romanos Gossayn married Hannah Yacoub Gossayn and had two daughters and a son, Foutine, Renee and George.
Foutine married Joseph Boustani from Jiyeh in Lebanon.
George married Maha Romanos Salameh. They had two children, John and Aleen.
Renee married Rezk-Allah Diab from Hadath al-Jubbeh. They had two daughters, Sylvia and Lissa.
Farid Romanos Gossayn married Marguerite Khalil Massoud from Bekfayah and had two sons, Fayez and Raymond, and a daughter, Diana.
Fayez Farid Gossayn married Remonda Daou from Beirut and had two sons and a daughter.
Andre married Roberta Santucci from Italy and had two sons, Daniel and Alex.
Mark married Beata Jolanta from Poland had a daughter, Kayla Sophia and a son, Joey Sabastian Gossayn.
Belinda Fayez Gossayn married Andre Abdow and had a daughter, Alexia Abdow.
Raymond Farid Gossayn married Georgette Daoud from Beirut. They had two daughters, Margueritte and Amanda Gossayn.
Toufic Romanos Gossayn, who had the most beautiful and powerful singing voice, died a bachelor. He lived in the Hadid until he was in his late thirties, then immigrated to Australia to live with his brother Neif and family.
Neif Romanos Gossayn married Malakie Allam, and has three sons, Henry, Robin and Tommy and two daughters, Nada and Mona.
Robin married Kristie. They had two boys, Benjamin and Charlie.
Nada married Bob Kowalski and had two daughters, Alana and Channelle.
Mona, who was married to Tony Chidiac, had a daughter Elizabeth.