Karl Bauer
| Town/City | Gisborne |
|---|---|
| First name | Karl |
| Last name | Bauer |
| Country of Origin | Austria |
| Date of Birth | 4.7.1930 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1957 |
| Submitted by | amanda McCarthy |
Story
KARL BAUER Ð IMMIGRATION BRIDGE
I was living in Austria about 1 kilometre from the Hungarian border. At the time (1955/6) the Hungarian Uprising was taking place. Although we were not directly affected, it was an uncomfortable time. Also at this time I went on holiday to Yugoslavia and Israel. Unfortunately, on the way back my visa expired and when I finally returned to my home I found that I no longer had a job. Added to this was the aftermath of WW2 with rationing still in place and other things were still making life difficult.
I made the decision to come to Australia. I was 26 years old at the time, I only had two sisters in Austria and thought Australia offered better opportunities and adventure.
I sailed on an old boat called the ‘Toscana\’. I shared a cabin with three other people. I remember the seas being very calm most of the time, and the meals were very good. We had a minestrone soup which was very nice. Only one incident was upsetting, when a small Greek boy of about six years old died because unfortunately the ships doctor failed to make a correct diagnosis. The young boy was buried at sea.
After leaving Austria in November I arrived in Melbourne on 23/12/1957. On arrival in Melbourne we were met by immigration officials who were very kind and helpful. We were put on to a train that took us to Bonegilla Migrant Camp. My very first impression of Bonegilla was the huge number of flies. At Bonegilla we assigned to barrack accommodation which was quite good although cold in winter. We were all recorded for jobs. As I had worked for the Post Office in Austria, and there was a job going at the Bonegilla Post Office, I worked in Colonel Quinn\’s office carrying out various duties related to the Post Office. For this I received 19/6 per week allowance. I also attended evening classes to learn English. I spent three years at Bonegilla before moving to South Australia where I stayed with friends. Being still young I moved around Australia, going as far north as the Atherton Tablelands.
During my three years at Bonegilla, and as I was a professional tailor, I made a tapestry to commemorate my new home. The tapestry consisted a various symbols of Australia, including a map of Australia and the Australian Coat of Arms. This tapestry won first prize at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney in 1961.