Last Thursday 68-year-old Robyn welcomed two half sisters she met for the first time eight years ago.

Thelma, 82, and Connie, 83, arrived from Newcastle on the XPT and stayed with her for an enjoyable few days reminiscing about this and that, until they got back on the XPT on Tuesday afternoon for their return journey.

Thelma and Connie are from the Adams side of the family, daughters of her birth mother Eunice Adams, who had seven children when she gave Robyn up for adoption at three weeks of age, in 1951.

"When they adopted me my mother and father, Noel and Pearl Collis, were given to understand I was an only child," Robyn said.

"It was only after I started researching my family tree that I discovered Eunice had had six children by her first husband, and three, including me, by her second husband, Walter Bishop," Robyn explained.

"I'm the only one left from the Bishop side now, but the Adams side had a family reunion eight years ago and invited me, and that was the first time I met all those half brothers and sisters I never knew, for many years, I had."

Robyn says she had a really good childhood with her adoptive mother and father, "Mum and Dad", who lived in Cootamundra when they married, moved to Sydney, then moved back to the district when Noel Collis was promoted to manage the Stockinbingal Bank of NSW.

Her parents had always told her that they had "chosen" her, but it wasn't until her first day of primary school that she heard the word "adopted".

"The girl across the road went to the same school and told me I was adopted, so when I got home and Mum asked what I learned I said I'm adopted - that's when they sat me down and explained more."

When she was four, her parents adopted another girl, Lyn, who they picked up at St Leonard's in Sydney.

"I was allowed into the nursery and I was able to pick the sister I wanted - but I think I was ushered over to that crib.

"Lyn lives in Alice Springs and we stay in touch by phone. We don't see each other often but we're going on a river cruise in May, so that will be good quality time we'll spend together.

"When I went to the Adams reunion I found my birth mother, Eunice, used to play for concerts and sing and dance and play piano at the retirement village.

"I said 'wow' because I'd been playing piano at the nursing home here for many years for singalongs - I've only given that away in the last couple of years - it's funny how it goes full circle."