Le puzzle de la Cinquième Suisse: 1/800 000
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Thomas Hüberli, Australia
05.06.2026
The Fifth Switzerland is a colourful, varied and multilingual puzzle with well over 800,000 pieces. Today’s puzzle piece is ...
… Thomas (Tom) Hüberli, 49 years old, lives in Rockingham, Western Australia. He was born in Thal, St.Gallen and emigrated to Australia in 1980, with parents and two siblings.
Photo provided
What references to Switzerland do you have in your house?
For my fourth Christmas in 1981, in Victoria, my late grandfather carved and painted little wooden cows, goats, a farm dog and a couple of Sennen (Swiss Farmers in traditional dress) and sent them over to me from Switzerland – he was very talented. The same year, my dad made a wooden stable to put them in. I remember asking him why he was cutting little windows into the letterbox he said we were making together! I was swiftly removed from all involvement in that project! This farm setting takes pride of place in our study (per photo)! My dear mum, who passed back in 2006, also did a lot of Swiss folk painting and I have a couple of her pieces in the home.
Do you ever feel like a foreigner when you visit Switzerland?
Never! I feel like I’m in my other home. I find the people friendly and helpful. This also has a lot to do with spending most time with my beautiful family, when we do visit; Dad’s two Swiss-based siblings and their spouses and one of my cousins. They always go out of their way to make it so special for us. I don’t have to live somewhere long to feel a sense of connection – I’m a terminal nostalgist and have many ‘hometowns’ in Switzerland and Australia.
Is regularly meeting other Swiss people important to you?
Yes, I embarked on reconnecting with my Swiss heritage and citizenship mainly during my working life. I did lose some Swiss connection during childhood, having grown up mainly in Australia, but then whilst working, I initially joined a small local Swiss networking group, the Swiss Network of Entrepreneurs and Professionals (SNEP) and then SwissCham Australia and finally I was invited onto the Board of SwissCham Australia a couple of years ago.
Is everyday life with your family multilingual?
With my wife and children, not so much, though a few Swiss German and Italian words (my wife’s heritage is part Italian) get thrown around occasionally. Dad still sometimes speaks to my siblings and me in Swiss German. Growing up, more so, and we tended to answer in English. Accordingly, and as I never went to school in Switzerland, I am in the unusual situation of being able to understand Swiss German well, speak it very poorly and funnier still, finding high German a completely foreign and unintelligible language. In case anyone has any doubts about their difference!
Which Swiss customs does your family still observe?
As kids we always painted Easter eggs on Good Friday and then did morning egg tapping battles (Eiertütschete!) for breakfast the following few days. I had a habit of painting Humpty Dumpty style egg-people with very thick hair and pants (about thirty coats of paint thick) – as the youngest, I was in it for one thing: eggsupremacy over my more artistic older siblings! We now also celebrate 1 August each year to recognise Swiss National Day. Fondue, Raclette, German sausages, chocolate abound!
Do you maintain contact with people in Switzerland through your work?
I started a niche service line in the firm of which I’m a partner of, RSM Australia, assisting Swiss migrants and expats with their Swiss pension tax planning needs in Australia. This means I often meet people still in Switzerland looking to migrate here and wondering what best to do, from an Australian tax point of view, with their Swiss Pillars1, 2 and 3 pensions before, or when, they get here. RSM Switzerland can help them on the other end if things.
I think fondue is …
… the source of life, the nectar of the Gods, the best meal to have on a cold winter night … ever. The list is endless, but you get the picture.
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