Immigration Stories
Throughout history stories have been used to illuminate, to educate, to recount, to challenge and to engage. Every individual’s life experience is unique and dynamic, particularly for those of us who have journeyed far from our homes to establish new lives in foreign countries.
Australia’s migrant history has enabled us to develop into the strong nation we are today. Personal stories and anecdotes are an important opportunity to enrich the public record and to embellish our history. Immigration Place Australia encourages the collection of immigrant stories. By giving a voice to our immigrants, we hope to record significant experiences with increased depth and nuance. We envision an opportunity to connect generations and to build community via a comprehensive record of the distinctive immigration footprint of Australia.
IPA’s mission is to continue to collect stories until completion of the construction of Immigration Place in Canberra. At that time, subject to the agreement of the National Archives of Australia those stories will be transferred to their website – Destination Australia.
We encourage you to record your stories or those of your ancestors.
All Stories
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My name is Eh Kaw So and I was born in Burma state. I am a Karen person. I\’m the third youngest of the brothers in my family; I have three brothers and one sister. I don\’t have a father because my father died a long time ago. The Burmese soldiers…
Eh Kaw So, Burma, 2008
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Born on 13th December 1911, at Ealing, Middlesex, Marjorie Alice Bird was the third child of John F and Alice Bird. As a ‘tiny tot\’ she spoke of herself as ‘Moll, Moll’ and became ‘Mollie\’. She ran after her…
Marjorie Bird, England, 1923
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My name is Wahida. I am from Afghanistan. I live in Australia with my family. I have 3 sisters and 1 brother. We came to Australia because of the Taliban.
Living in Australia I am very happy with my family because I have a nice family. My favourite thing…
Wahida Rustam, Afghanistan, 2007
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My name is Moo; my family name is Paheh.I was born in Thailand. My birthday is 24th October, 1991. I am 17 years old. I have five siblings, one brother and four sisters; I am the fourth child in my family. My favourite colors are black and sky-blue. My favourite…
Mukatritoo Paheh, Burma, 2009
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My name is Eh Ka Lu. My parents were born in Karen state. My mother\’s family name is Mu. My mother told me about Burmese soldiers who came in my country. When the Burmese soldiers came to my country, suddenly they attacked my mother\’s …
Eh Ka Lu Pree, Burma, 2009
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My name is Noble and I was born in Thailand. I\’ve got seven sisters and I am the only brother. We live with our parents. We have a big family. We left the homeland because of the Burmese government. They are terrorists. The Burmese soldiers were…
Nouer soe Pah eh, Thailand, 2009
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My name is Eh Tar. I was born in Thailand, but my parents came from Burma. My parents left Burma because the Burmese soldiers came and attacked their village. So they came to the Thailand Burma border to a small village. I have one brother and four sisters.…
Eh Tar Moo, Thailand, 3/10/2009
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My name is Cathy Pe. I was born on 4th September, 1992. I am 16 years old. I come from Papua New Guinea.
The main reason for leaving my homeland is that my parents wanted us to get a good education. I and my family are now living in Australia. In my family they…
Cathy Pe, Papua New Guinea, 2007
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Rose El Abbassy (nee Costandi Issa) June 26 1923
My mother, Rose Costandi Issa, June 26, 1923, was one of six children, and was a qualified schoolteacher, married to my father, Sobhy El Abbassy. They were both born in Egypt. After managing the Berkeley\’s…
Rose Costandi Issa, Egypt, 1970
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Charles CURTHOYS was born in 1820 in Olvestone, Glouchester, England. His parents were Mathew & Eunice CURTHOYS (nee TACHORNEY).
Charles arrived in Australia in 1853 on board the sailing ship ‘Indian Queen’
Charles first wife,…
Charles CURTHOYS, Bristol, England, 1853
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Reason for leaving homeland – My parents migrated to Australia for a better and more prosperous life.
About the Journey – We have arrived in Australia with Al Italia Airline.
Impressions on Arrival – Australian Security at Sydney…
Zlatko Pavlovic, Yugoslavia, 1970
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My family\’s great journey to our new country started well before I first set foot on Australian soil at Kingsford Smith (Sydney) International Airport on 7 February 1977.
It began some eight months before that date in the middle of 1976 when…
Arturo Tolentino & Family, Philippines, 1977
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Life in India: I was born in a remote village in Punjab, India. The nearest primary school was about five kilometres away in the next village. I was in grade 10 when India was divided to create Pakistan. My family was on the wrong side of the Redcliffe …
Jogindar Singh Josan, India, 1963
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I left home because i was looking for a better future
My ship was called Castel Verdi, 26 days to get to Australia, it was a record voyage at that era because they found that we were running out of supplies. I worked on the ship helping in the kitchen and …
jimmy chetcuti, Malta, 1954
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Reason for leaving homeland – Studying Forestry in Australia
About the Journey – By ship, the Flavia; 5 weeks on the high seas.
I arrived in Sydney in September: a modern western city with a fantastic harbour. The city lacked the sophistication…
Christiaan Slotemaker de Bruine, The Netherlands, 1964
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My father, Domenico Iannotta was born on the 4th of August 1914, in Sant’Agata Dei Goti, a picturesque village in the Campania region of Italy.
My father\’s parents owned a small olive grove and farming land which contributed to the …
Domenico Iannotta, Italy, 1941
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My name is Waris Khalid. I migrated to Australia in 2009 at the age of 16 years.
The reason to come in Australia was to live with my family. Some of my family were in Afghanistan and some of them were in Australia, My relatives in Australia are my grandmother,…
Waris Khalid, Afghanistan, 2009
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I, Guiseppina (Josie) Esperino, was born in 1938 in San Vito il Tagliamento, a town pf 15000 inhabitants in Northern Italy in the province of Pordenome some 100 kilometres from Venice, the fourth of five children born to my mother and father Giovannei…
Guiseppina (Josie) Pasut, Italy, 1957
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Peter Frank Bird youngest son of John F Bird and Alice Bird was born on the 21st May 1921. Peter survived his first year only because of remarkable care. Shortly after Peter’s birth the new nanny allowed Enid and Mollie in to meet their new baby…
Peter Frank Bird, England, !923
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Alice was the elder daughter of Emeline, second wife of Alonzo Mears, Jeweller & clockmaker of Camden Town, London. Orphaned before she was six, Alice and her sister Ella were raised by their half sisters, first Lizzie, then Maud with her husband…
Alice M Bird (nee Mears), England, 1923
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Isaac Salter was transported from England for desertion. He was Court Martialled at Wellington Barracks, London on the 8th. March 1836. Isaac left England aboard the “Lady Nugent” on the 12th. November 1836. He served 8 years as a convict…
Isaac Salter, England, 1837
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Elizabeth Eliza Mumby was transported from London, England in 1848 aboard the “Tory”. She was tried and convicted in Boston, England on the 18th. October 1847. Sentenced to 7 years Transportation. She arrived in then Van Diemens Land…
Eliza Mumby, England, 1848
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Sobhy Boktor El Abbassy
My father Sobhy Boktor El Abbassy, born October 1, 1924, was one of five children, and was a bank manager, and mother Rose Costandi Issa, June 26, 1923, was one of six children, and was a qualified school teacher. They were both…
Sobhy Boktor El Abbassy, Egypt, 1970
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Amy came to Australia for a better life as a young woman aged 22 years, never returning to her
homeland ever again to see her family before she passed away aged 93.
She came out on the vessel – Indrapura – which carried some 850 passengers…
Amy Deakin (m. Sanderson), England, 1914
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My reason for leaving Germany is quite a romantic one. In March 1987 I decided it was time to visit Australia and my aunty’s sister offered that I could stay with them and make it the home base which was Sydney. In my last week in Australia my aunt’s…
Michaela Salisbury, Germany, 1988
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Left Prijedor in Bosnia June 1964. Little or no work available. Left behind Mother, Father, three sisters and three Brothers. Milka was only twenty two years of age when she left home and went to work in a factory in Austria Vienna.
Milka met her husband…
Milka Mikic, Bosnia, 1966
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My parents, older brother and sister left Hungary because of the invasion and occupation by the Russians. My father had some involvement in the protests against this invasion and therefore we had to leave our homeland of Hungary. Unfortunately …
Bela & Yolan BOROS, Hungary, 1953
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