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 story begins in Cork, Ireland in the mid 1950’s when my parents decided that our family would have a more prosperous and better lifestyle in Australia, and so began our journey to Australia. We left Cork travelling through Ireland and England…
John Crawford, Ireland, 1957
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Antonio Giordano was born on 12th May 1907 in Naples, Italy. He lived in Caronia, Sicily in the province of Messina. His father Salvatore was an operatic tenor and his mother Eucharis Bagli was the daughter of a naval officer of a very old patrician …
Antonio Giordano, Italy, 1924
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Living on the south coast of England the regular threat of IRA bombs in local shopping centres at the time caused concern for safety of our family, times were difficult financially, and the future did not look good at the time. We sold our house, packed…
Jenny, Roger, Lisa, Emily Hoskins, England, 30.06.1978
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My father Borivije Petkovic was born on the 30-4-1911 in Mali Izvor near the town of Zajecar in Serbia. His parents were Petar and Mileva. He also had a sister Desanka and a brother Stanimir. He attended the military academy in Belgrade, graduated …
BORIVOJE PETKOVIC, FORMER YUGOSLAVIA (SERBIA), 1949
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‘The Immigrant child’
40 years on.
As I shopped today for a birthday card for my youngest sister, for her 40th birthday, I realised that she was three months old when we left England on June 26th 1966. That means that I am privileged…
Marie Cunningham, England, 1966
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Dad arrived in Port Melbourne on the Marconi in 1962. Most of his brothers and sisters were already here and he wanted to see what it was like before sending over for his family. It was an anxious time for Dad and Mum, being apart and afraid, but excited…
Giuseppe & Carmela Cosentino, Italy, 1962 &1965
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…
Joseph Michael Obeid, Lebanon, 1948
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JACK AND MARY DYER from Burma (Myanmar) to Australia
Reasons for leaving the homeland:
Jack and Mary Dyer, and daughters, Colleen and Patricia departed Rangoon, Burma and arrived on the first Cathay Pacific flight to Australia (Darwin) on 31st …
Jack and Mary Dyer, Burma Myanmar, 31/12/47
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Kees was born in Blaricum Holland on the 02/04/1938 to Margarethe Wilhelmina Noekel and Gijsbertus Calis.
He is the second eldest of 6 childeren. He went to school in Blaricum and during the war years had classes in a barn with the cows.
He got his Diplomas…
Cornelis (Kees) Calis, Holland, 1957
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Guatemala as many Latin American countries has many political, economical and social problems that make the living of all citizens very difficult, me as a professional was very disappointed about the situation and only a little can be done, so that…
Luis Alfonso Rodriguez Cano, Guatemala, 2007
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Reason for leaving homeland – There was a war (The Vietnam War)
About the Journey – Well we tried to stay away from other boats because we did not now if they were pirates or coast guards. Our boat was leaky and starting to rust.
Impressions…
Bob Fredrick, Vietnam, 1989
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PART THREE
To overcome the lack of grazing land, George Rich applied to the Dept. of Agriculture for a lease on adjoining land that had been set aside for the grazing of ‘Bullock Teams’ that once worked at hauling cut trees from the area.…
George Frederick Rich, Canada, 1923
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PART TWO
At some stage, George Rich must have acquired his own horse and he used this mode of transport to visit the friends he had made and to attend the country-dances that were popular at this time. It was not unusual for him to ride twenty six miles …
George Frederick Rich, Canada, 1923
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PART ONE
Born in Toronto Canada, our father had a difficult life in his early years as a young boy. His father ARTHUR FREDERICK RICH decided to return alone to England when George was probably the age of six or seven leaving his wife NELLIE CLARK and three…
George Frederick Rich, Canada, 1923
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After working for some time in Argentina after the war Angelo decided to migrate to Australia after hearing of the opportunities that where available here. He had recently married Liana Fior and wanted more for the family that would hopefully follow.…
Angelo & Liana Lunazzi, Italy, 1950/1952
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The Story of Andrew Szabo, translator, cameraman, professional drummer, musician-accompanist, sales representative.
PART TWO
The Tasmanian government had sought migrants from that camp to fill acute job vacancies in the island state. His …
Andrew (András) Szabo, Hungary, 1949
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The Story of Andrew Szabo, translator, cameraman, professional drummer, musician-accompanist, sales representative.
PART ONE
Andrew was born in 1923 in the Hungarian resort town of Keszthely, on the shores of the great Lake Balaton, the “inland…
Andrew (András) Szabo, Hungary, 1949
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Growing up you don’t generally spend a lot of time analysing your life. You just accept it. As long as you get a bed to sleep in and regular meals and are having fun with friends you’re satisfied.
So after finishing high school Toon got an…
Tom Vermeeren, Netherlands, 1967
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Reason for leaving homeland – War was about to happen, dictatorship, inequality, economic reasons, did not feel the country will be safe to get married and raise a family.
About the Journey- Left home in 2002, then went to the UK, did exams and…
Marwan Toma, Iraq, 2006
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My Father Patrick Obeid /Abade was the 2nd youngest of 8 children to Boutros and Noura Obeid. My father came to Australia in 1947 at the age of 17 with his cousins George Maroon and Henry Malcom all the same age on the vessel Comninos. They arrived in Melbourne…
Patrick -Obeid Abade, Beit Obeid Lebanon, 1947
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In the dark morning of 1959, well before sunrise, I experienced my first fright at the age of 6 and every now and then it comes back as a reminder of the events of those uncertain times.
My parents Jose and Clara Ricardo, the proprietors of the Hotel Santiago,…
Mario Ricardo, Timor-Leste, 1970
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Story : Dr.Denis Francis Halmagyi, intensive care scientist, specialist medical practitioner.
PART 2:
Returning to Australia in 1984, he set up a private specialist medical practice in several locations, including Broadway and Baulkham Hills,…
Denis ( Dénes) Halmagyi, Hungary, 1958
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Story: Dr.Denis Francis Halmagyi, intensive care scientist, specialist medical practitioner
Denis (Dénes) Halmagyi, was born in Budapest on 18 January 1921, the only child of Ferenc and Rózsa Halmagyi, both dentists. His secondary education…
Denis ( Dénes) Halmagyi, Hungary, 1958
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…
Stephen John Nash, England, 8/9/1828
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Béla Makutz was born at Felsőbánya on 29 September 1857. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed to a cousin as a cobbler for five years. Having learnt the trade Makutz left for Galatz, in Romania, where he joined his uncle, an iron founder. After…
Bela Makutz, Felsőbánya (Renamed Baia Sprie, in Romania since1920), Hungary (Transylvania), 1882
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Story of Dr. George Berczeller medical doctor, piano tuner, music composer, pianist-entertainer of operetta, jazz and light medley genre.
PART 2
From 1958 on, for ten years he was the resident pianist at the Tatra Revue Theatre in Bratislava, the…
George ( György
Juraj) Berczeller, Ipolyság (Sahy, Slovakia), Hungary (Austro-Hungarian Empire), 1968 -
Story of Dr. George Berczeller medical doctor, piano tuner, music composer, pianist-entertainer of operetta, jazz and light medley genre.
PART 1
Son of a local hotelier family, George (György or Juraj) Berczeller was born on 4 February 1914 in…
George ( György
Juraj) Berczeller, Ipolyság (Sahy, Slovakia), Hungary (Austro-Hungarian Empire), 1968
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