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
-
Mario Giacobetti was born on the 6 November 1932 in Appignano Del Tronto in the province of Marche, Italy. He is the second child & second son of Giuseppe Giacobetti and Margherita Balzotto. Mario grew up in the area surrounding Appignano in …
Mario Giacobetti, Italy, 1952
-
Ellen was a convict, transported to Western Australia in The Scindian 1st June 1851 as an orphan and a convict.
Ellen’s Cottage at 41 King Road Bunbury was their home amd has been historically maintained with the period furniture and photographs…
Ellen (Mead) Henry Trott, England, 1851
-
My grandfather, Francesco (‘Cicio’) was the son of successful wholesalers in a village called Soleto Sorbo, outside Catania, in Sicily. He was a goodhearted and extraordinarily goodlooking young man who wanted to make his own way…
Francesco Cantarella, Italy, 1925
-
Reason for leaving homeland – I came with my parents who immigrated with five children
About the Journey – It took four days by aircraft a KLM Constellation – four propelllors. We left Amsterdam, next stop Frankfurt, Rome, Beruit,…
Johannes Kelder, Netherlands, 1960
-
Theresia Kodel, nee Kuhnmunch, was the daughter of millers in 19th century Bavaria. At just 17 she married Joseph Kodel. Theresia and Joseph worked as vine-dressers in the vineyards of the beautiful Tauber Valley more than 150 years ago. They were…
Theresia Kodel, Germany, 1855
-
We lmigrated from Dronfield, England to start a better life with more opportunites for our family being my brother Michael aged 14, my parents Norah & Thomas Hodgeson Mason and myself, then 11.
We travelled by ship ‘The Orien” …
Susan Livesley, AU, 1958
-
This story is about my Mum, Natasza who is 85 yrs old (and currently suffering from vascular dementia). During the second world war in 1941, Mum aged 18 yrs old, was forceably taken from her Ukraine homeland by the German army to work in Germany factory…
Natasza Gapinski, Ukraine, 1950
-
Reason for leaving homeland – Potato famine in Ireland.
About the Journey – Son Patrick Joseph Casserly was born on the boat. Mother Cecelia (Cox) Casserly
Impressions on Arrival – Tom and his family lived in Victoria and he was…
Thomas Casserly, Ireland, 1863
-
In 2004, I came to Australia to study Masters in Business and the place is Canberra on a winter night – we can imagine how cold it is- but the first feeling I got really lived up to Australia’s name- clean and quiet.
Leaving parents at home…
Harish Nair, India, 2004
-
Left UK for a new life in Australia. Family that had already moved to Australia told stories of this wonderful country full of opportunity with a lifestyle that seemed to good to be true.
The journey was only a day by plane but it meant leaving most of …
Paul de Andrade, England, 1973
-
Reason for leaving homeland – New life for the family, my firm I worked for were moving on, and it meant moving with them or to emigrate. A cousin had come out, and we heard our nice it was.
We came by ship the Fairstar to Adelaide; my wife, our two …
Terence Reilly, UK, 1972
-
Koen flew from Jakarta to Sydney on 15th May, thence travelling to Brisbane Grammar School to complete his studies and matriculate for a University course (his Chinese school qualifications not then recognised in Australia).
He commenced University…
Thiam-Koen Lauw, Indonesia, 1953
-
Reason for leaving homeland – Political situation in Fiji was not good. We had 2 coups in 1987 and the Indians in Fiji were looked upon as second class citizens. To get a better live in Australia.
We travelled by plane from my homeland (Vanua Levu)…
Rameshwar Raj, Fiji, 1995
-
I was born In Bogota Colombia. Born into a middle class family I enjoyed a very happy childhood with my older brother Antonio, sister Ines and younger sister Monica. My father (Juan) worked as an actuary for insurence companies and my mother (Ana Mery)…
Claudia Pineros-Blum, Colombia, 1990
-
During the Second World War my father Ron Parnell of Derby England sailed as a ship\’s carpenter on a cargo ship the SS Marquesa between Argentina and Liverpool bringing chilled meat to England. On one trip he met Emma Jenkins the English daughter…
Anthony Parnell, UK, 1950
-
I was unsure of future employment in the aircraft industry and saw an advertisement in the paper for engineers at QANTAS. I applied, had an interview and was accepted and then went through immigration to be granted entry to Australia.
We departed …
JOHN EDMUNDS, WALES, 1965
-
I Hassan Sagvand, migrated to Australia, in 1982, from Susa, Persia, in search of freedom and democracy.
As one of the Commanders of the Imperial Iranian Navy and having been educated in Europe and the USA, I found it easy to integrate within the multi-cultural…
Hassan & Azam Sagvand, Persia, 1982
-
My father Adolfo Viera had a very disadvantaged childhood in Argentina, having lost his father and mother by the time he was in his teens. He was and still is a proud man and felt destined for greater opportunities in his adult life. As a very accomplished…
Gus Viera, Argentina, 1979
-
…
Margaret Jane Williams, England, 1884
-
Ellen Jones was born on 14th July 1873 at Manod Terrace, Ffestiniog, County Merioneth, North Wales, the daughter of Robert Jones, a slate labourer, & Jane (nee Pritchard). Her parents had probably moved to Ffestiniog for employment, but by…
Ellen Jones, Wales, 1898
-
Cornelius Jones was born on 10th February 1872 at 12 Romiley Street, Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Susannah Jones. His father is not recorded on his birth certificate, but family tradition suggests he was a Scandinavian sea captain.…
Cornelius Jones, U.K., circa 1895
-
Charles Edgerton was born on 22nd May 1861 at Barkers Green, Wem, Shropshire, England, the son of Charles Edgerton & Elizabeth nee Maddocks. His father was a brick & tile maker at Barkers Green & also a local preacher for the Primitive…
Charles Edgerton, England, 1884
-
Angelo SCALA was born in Caselle Landi provence of Italy in the northern area near Milan. He married Ermelinda CISARI on 17 Nov 1856. Angelo was a carpenter. The taxes in Italy were so excessive that Angelo, Ermelinda and five children received Certificates…
SCALA Angelo, Italy, 8/4/1881
-
Margaret Gillick arrived in Australia in January 1957 aboard the MV Fairsea. She travelled with her parents, James and Janet Gillick from Scotalnd.
In 1959 she married John Hall and they had three children, Stuart, Graham and Janet. Margaret passed…
Margaret Gillick (m. Hall), Scotland, 1957
-
Elizabeth Knuckey was born on 9th January 1845 in Gwennap, Cornwall, the eldest child of Richard Knuckey and Mary Ann (nee Thomas). She was born into a large family with her close relatives and more distant cousins all living in Gwennap and the surrounding…
Elizabeth Knuckey, Cornwall, England, 1854
-
William Bennett was christened on 28th February 1835 in Camborne, Cornwall, the eldest child of James Bennett and Mary (nee Bennetts). His father James was a copper miner and the family of nine children lived at Rosewarne Lane, Camborne. William…
William Bennett, Cornwall, England, 1857
-
My name is Virginia Tropeano (nee Norris). I was born in Sutton, Surrey, England and I was 12 years old when my family came to Australia. My parents, Tom and Eva Norris, made the decision to emigrate after my Dad\’s sister and her husband, Marjorie…
Virginia Norris, England, 1963
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- …
- 61
- Next Page »