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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The Fikkers Family migration to Australia.
In 1949, the future in Holland did not look very promising. Our city of Groningen was still partly in ruins, many items were in short supply and taxes were very high. The Fikkers family consisting of father…
Frank and Margaret Fikkers, Netherlands, 1950
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Initially, we as a family were to immigrate to Canada but with the demise of my Father, Edward in 1965 and the simultaneous anguish with nostalgia by my eldest sister Barbara, in Perth, we decided to immigrate to Australia.
My mother Dulcie, two elder…
Charles Gaudoin, India, 1970
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Percy Mills\’ father was John Robert Mills (1879-1957) who had 2 brothers, & a sister. John was born in Wymeswold, Leistershire, UK. His mother was Elizabeth Houghton (1880-1962) who had 4 brothers & 7 sisters. Elizabeth was born…
Percy Mills, UK, 1912
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In 1986 I left Ashford Middlesex England where I had lived all my life to marry my husband Wayne who was born in Perth.
I booked a flight with British Airways which was good because I had worked for them for seven years but had to leave the company to emigrate…
Debra Beckett, England, 1986
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‘I\’m going to Australia,’ I announced to my parents. ‘Grote goden! Jesu Cristus!’ was my mother\’s response. My father was more perceptive, ‘What is Vader Hendriks up to?’
I was only 19 years…
Herman van Haren, The Netherlands, 1953
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When boyfriend, Joel Beskin, became a Ten-Pound Pom in 1960 in order to test if he wasn’t in danger of drifting into marriage with girlfriend, Margaret Morgan. He soon found that he had to call on his letter writing skills to woo, all over again,…
Margaret Beskin (nee Morgan), South Wales, 1961
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In October 1853 Elizabeth Torrens, aged 29 and unmarried, arrived in Sydney Australia from Northern Ireland on the sailing ship ‘Ellenborough’. Immigration shipping lists revealed that Elizabeth was born at Moyletra Toy Garvagh…
Elizabeth Torrens, Ireland, 1853
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Arnaldo had lost a sister to the war via Dachau concentration camp as a prisoner of war, the war had ended and work was scarce. Australia had opened their immigration boarders and work was promised.
They left on both Castel Bianco -(Lia )and The Stuart…
Arnaldo and Lia Catanzaro-and Roja, Italy, 1950
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1986 was a big year for me. I turned five. On my birthday I learnt to break dance winning first prize. That night, having reached the pinnacle of achievement, I hung up my medals to pursue other goals. Soon after, I saved my friend Aidie from her manic …
Gareth Larsen, England, 1986
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My mother, Bogumila, the only child of Jadwiga and Kazimierz Dobrzycki, was born in the Polish town of Pinsk, which is no longer in Polish territory. Her father was a Polish Officer by the age of 20 in WWI. In WWII he was captured by the Germans, escaped,…
Bogumila Zielinski, Poland, 1950
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My family left Vienna because of economic circumstances.
We came with KLM from Austria to Melbourne
On arrival we felt awe and wonder.
Joe Lake has an entry in Who’s Who in Tasmania, 2008. He is a poet and playwright, now retired on a pension and…
Helmut Boehk, Austria, 1960
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At age 25 years I had completed my Royal Navy experience (9 1/2 years) from Boy Seaman 16 yrs to Able Seaman (Underwater Weapons 11 and Hard Hat Diver). Two separate trips to the far East to take part in Occupied Japan and the Korean War gave me a different…
Alexander Copeland, Liverpool, England, 1/19/2014
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Reason for leaving homeland – For Adventure and to escape the Yugoslav regime.
About the Journey – We had a good trip, from Triest. The Ship was the Aurelia.
First impression was a big bridge in Fremantle near Perth. Melbourne train to…
Milan Sedmak, Slovenia, 1959
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Reason for leaving homeland – Married 3 months and wished to experience a better climate and job prospects than the north of England had to offer. We left with five hundred pounds only forwarded to a bank in Australia.
We journeyed on the Fairstar,…
Irene Lyne nee Clough, England, 1964
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Karl Johannes Lauk & Eha Paigaline
Later – Helle Marika Lauk(daughter born Traunstein – Germany)
Born Tartu Estonia
Karl Johannes Lauk & Eha Paigaline left Estonia after the German invasion (July 7/9 1941). Moving to Germany…
Karl, Eha & Marika(daughter) Lauk, Estonia, 12/30/0195
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Sarah worked in service in Keevil, England. At 24, she decided to migrate to Australia due to the government of the day’s assisted passage for young single workers to help build the colonies. Her employer in England must have thought highly…
Sarah Stillman-Douse, England, 1867
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Federico Michaelo Medardo Caggiati was born 29th September 1936 in Vigheffio Parma Italy, to Emilio and Maria Caggiati; their 8th child. Growing up in Vigheffio in war years on a farm, times were hard as it was throughout Europe. Federico was forced…
Federico Caggiati, Italy, 1954
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Father and Mother Hugh & Jean Hutton-Latham had waited five years to bring their three children to a place full of sunshine and a better outlook for the future. Father had a trade and he was needed at the time.
The journey on the liner Strathaird…
Susan Guerin, Australia, 1954
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Vince left his family, friends and home in Italy in search of a better life.
He spent a month on a big beautiful ship that experienced rough seas for the majority of the month long trip.
Upon arival in Australia Vince was sea-sick for a week and said all…
Vince Comita, Italy, Apr-61
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Rosa left her small country town in Italy in search of a ‘better life’ in Australia.
She was on a ship called Sydney for a month, with very rough seas and had sea-sickness for weeks. she witnessed beautiful dolphins following the ship.…
Rosa Caporale, Italy, May-54
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My husband, Federico Caon was a prisoner of war in Africa for four years. When he returned to Italy he was a thirty year old. He knew people that had come to Australia. They told him there was plenty of work. The Australian authorities approved his application…
Anna (Bordignon) Caon, Treviso, Italy, 1955
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Rozalia married Ivan Cetinich in Broken Hill on 11th Nov1950. Rose and Ivan\’s four children, Raymond, Marlene, Peter and John were all born there & have since left the city to reside in different cities of Australia. Rose lives in the…
Rozalia (Rose) Cetinich, Slovenika Yugoslavia, 1949
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Lorenzo Cester
Born: Passagno Italy-1943
Year of Migration: 1956
My mother, Marianella met met my father, Antonio Cester during the Second World War. My mother lived in a little village called Cunial, which was also her maiden name; they married…
Lorenzo Cester, Passagno, Italy, 1956
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Wilham (William) Hadad
Born Lebanon
Year of Migration: c1920s
Accodring to his family Wilham Hadad migrated to Broken Hill because he had friends already settled in the city. He enjoyed himself from the minute he reached Broken Hill. He had lived…
Wilham (William) Hadad, Lebanon, C1920s
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Our family left (fled in secret) Cape Town, South Africa in 1977 as we did not support the politics of the white minority government. We lived in the shadow of Table Mountain and across the paddocks behind us was Pollsmoor Prison, where Nelson Mandela…
Lynneth (Laya) Clode (m. Ross), South Africa, 1981
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I was born Mirna (Nina) Kazazic, 8th July 1957 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. First child of 2 children. My brother is Ervin (Nino) Kazazic. My father was maths professor and my mother was a teacher. They encouraged our education. I have finished…
Family Pasic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992
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We do not know why Agnes (Neary) and her husband Patrick Fox left Belfast in Ireland to travel to Australia. They departed from Greenoch, Scotland and arrived at Port Denison Rockhampton Queensland aboard the Wansfell on 10 March 1863. They had one…
Agnes Neary, Belfast Northern Ireland, 1865
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