Jean-Paul Schneller
| First name | Jean-Paul |
|---|---|
| Last name | Schneller |
| Country of Origin | France |
| Date of Birth | 12/3/1945 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 7/21/1950 |
| Submitted by | Jean-Paul Schneller |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – Australia had a better future for us as children.
About the Journey – I left France with my parents, older brother, younger sister and went to Italy (Genova) and boarded the ship Sebastiano Caboto 20th June 1950.
Impressions on Arrival – On arrival at the St. Kilda Pier, we stayed at the Hotel Majestic for 2 months. We then moved to Camberwell, Melbourne, where I lived until I got married. Dad worked as a jeweller in Little Collins Street and Mum stayed home. I found school difficult as I could not speak English, but after 6 months could speak fluently. However I could still could not either read nor write it.
People were reluctant to accept migrants in the area as our culture differed to those around us. The children were more accepting than the adults. However, over the years things have changed and I consider myself an Australian.