Alena Almassy
| First name | Alena |
|---|---|
| Last name | Almassy |
| Country of Origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Date of Birth | 4/19/1954 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1969 |
| Submitted by | Alena Almassy |
Story
The Eastern Block armies invaded my country in 1968 and my parents had, by that stage, enough of the Soviet rule over Czechoslovakia. We left in January 1969 receiving asylum in Vienna, Austria through Charitas and my family was granted political refugee status. A lot of Czechoslovaks left during this time. I loved staying in Vienna, it is only 60 km from my own town Bratislava, and when I found out that we will be leaving for Australia in February it was a bit of a shock – all I knew is that Australia is a very very long way from Europe …
When we stopped-over in Kuala Lumpur it was so hot and humid there that all passengers from our flight decided to leave their coats and jumpers at the airport, as someone had said that it was very hot in Australia and we won’t be needing warm clothing …
We touched down in Sydney on February 20, and all I remember was my dad had to consult with the officials at immigration because although he asked for us to be based in Sydney they ‘marked’ us to go somewhere called Bonegilla – and the whole bus was waiting for us. As it turned out, he proved to be a great negotiator and we were put in a black limousine and driven to Cabramatta Hostel … because for 6 people it was cheaper then hiring a bus ? I don’t know, but it made a great impression on me …