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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Disillusioned with the decision Government (Harold Wilson) made to disallow an equal pay rise to electricians in Scotland with those granted to English electricians – 1 shilling per hour on a 40 hour week. Wrote to the national dailies about…
Dorothy McEwan, Scotland, 1969
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There was great unrest in the southern Jutland area of Denmark in the 1860s and 1870s. Prince Wilhelm I of Prussia had made a land grab and was oppressing the Danes in the Schlesvig and Holstein duchies. Peter Andersen Bundesen (known as ‘Peder\’)…
Peter Andersen Bundesen, Denmark, 1873
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My husband died before we were granted visas, so my 3 kids and I decided to migrate so we could start a new life and move on and to give my kids a better future in life.
The journey is exhausting; it’s 8hrs flight from Manila to Brisbane add to that …
Julita Ong, Philippines, 1/16/2006
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Born in Stettin, Germany. Apprenticeship in Dessau/Anhalt 1943 Junkers Aircraft Factory from there into the War via Dresden bombings. Wounded 1 May 1945 (one week before the War ended). Reached the hospital in Magdeburg where I surrendered to …
Siegfried FISCHER, Germany, 1961
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I wanted to serve my country of birth as a doctor. Having tasted bitter poverty, I had to make a hard, but practical decision, wether to die as a pauper in India or migrate to a developed country. I felt that I was selfish in making that decision, but I had…
Balaji Rao, India, 5/17/1969
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Left Fiji after first Military Coup in May 1987 as I was a Labor Party candidate during the 1987 Fiji General Elections. The Military were about to arrest me so I left Fiji with my wife, Louise and our two young children, Victoria (aged 11 yrs old) and …
Andrew Miller, Fiji, 1987
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I moved to Australia with my Mother and Father in 1997. Both my parents were made redundant and the job market was drying up in Scotland. We came to visit a family friend in Australia a few years before we decided to move here. My parents enjoyed it so much…
Samantha Cooper, Scotland, UK, 1997
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In 1945 having experienced the almost daily allied bombing raids and seeing the destruction, the dead and injured and the futility of war, I decided that I never again wished to go through such a period in my life.
After graduating from a commercial…
Wolfgang Frick, Dr., Austria, 1961
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Our father, James Hunter, was a constable in the Dundee police. He decided that we would emigrate to Australia when he retired to make a better life for his family. In late 1951 he came home, announced that he had put in his retirement papers, booked …
Colin Hunter, Scotland, 1952
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Ducas was a hotel and punt owner in Jericho catering to the Russian Christian pilgrims visiting the holy land as was the custom of the times. He was seen to be doing too well for himself by some competitors. The licences held by him had been originally…
Ducas (Anglicised to Lucas) Parselles, Greece (via Jericho), 1911
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Reason for leaving homeland – Hoping for a better life. Not a strong attachment to family due to a prolonged absense from home due to war, and ill health.
Left from Tilbury on a grey misty day going aboard the SS Orion. I was aware of the faint smell…
Kenneth J Garrow, England, 1958
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Reasonfor leaving Trieste: as a political refugee from Jugoslavia I found myself stateless. Applied to IRO( international refugees organisation) in Trieste and was accepted. Sometime later was interviewed by an Australian immigration officer…
Giovanni Abatematteo, Italy, 26/06/51
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I immigrated with my mother (Shiela) and my brother (Bruce) to join my father (Eric) who was already in Australia having sailed on the Strathaird earlier. I was 13 and my brother was 10 years of age.
The journey was very exiting for me and my brother but…
Keith Vass, England, 1953
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I am of Armenian origin but was born in Egypt. In 1956 the political climate changed in Egypt and many non-Egyptians started the migration process to far away places such as Canada and Australia. We were one of the last one to leave Egypt. We were not …
Beatrice Manoukian, Armenia, 1964
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I was married to an Australian born citizen. I was not able to leave for Australia right away since I had to finish my year’s work as a high school teacher, and then had to prepare my passport and wait for my visa approval.
I was six months pregnant…
Wilhelmina Smith, Philippines, 1979
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Reason for leaving homeland – UK population explosion – having served with Australian forces in Malaya & Korea I loved their attitude to life- their directness and their anti-class attitude – also a country that spelt …
Robert & Pauline Pearson, England, 1/11/0197
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The Billing family arrived in November 1972.
Since I met Col I had mentioned a few times about migrating to Australia but being an English country boy he was a little hesitant. In 1971 it was he who instigated our migration.
We both wanted more out of …
Josy, Colin, Debbie, Martin Billing, England, 1972
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Reason for leaving homeland – NOT SURE AS I HAD A GOOD JOB, AND GOT THE IDEA AFTER READING ABOUT AUSTRALIA IN A READERS DIGEST. I DISCUSSED IT WITH MY WIFE KATHLEEN AND SHE AGREED TO GO, WE ALSO HAD TWO CHILDREN ANNE AND FRANCIS AGED FOUR AND TWO RESPECTIVELY.…
JAMES (FRANK) HATTON, Ireland, 1966
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Nils missed out on a visa to Canada so he travelled to Australia at 25 years of age instead, eager to see something new and far from home. He has always been a traveller, via books or on a plane.
Nils got a train from Varberg to Copenhagen and flew with Scandinavian…
Nils Nilsson, Sweden, 1981
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Reason for leaving homeland – New life in a new country
About the Journey – Departed Plymouth 12/12/1838 on the barque Argyle. Arrived Sydney 1/4/1839 with wife Mercy & children Sarah, Caroline, William, Thomas, George.
The …
Jeremiah Whatson, England, 1/4/1839
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Came as a family group with Theo and Nellie De Pyper and sisters Rita, Trudy and Wilma. Father who was a tailor was told that machines would take over his job very shortly so the whole family came. l had just been called up for National Service but as l was…
Anthony De Pyper, Netherlands, 1959
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A very simple tale.
Our son had emigrated to Australia and every year we came to visit. Each time we came we wanted to stay and each time we went back to England we realised Australia had won our hearts. We had travelled extensively and knew Australia …
Ann & Alan Tindale, England, 2005
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William Albertson, my Grandfather was a brickmaker and wheelwright. He left Denmark to seek a better life.
I don’t know what ship he arrived on, but he settled first at Hinto NSW. 1857 saw him at Bowling Alley Point panning for gold.
He married…
William Albertson, Denmark, 1856
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Joseph & Jeannette Portelli, my parents, were British Subjects living in Turkey and had to leave their homeland as Turkey was neutral during WW2 and could not guarantee their safety. They together with my Sister Charlotte, 11months old, left…
Joseph & Jeannette Portelli, Turkey, 1947
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I was born in Indonesia of Dutch parents. When Indonesia was fighting for independance, our family moved to Holland. We lived there 7 years, when my parents wanted to move to Australia, for the climate and for a better future for the children. My eldest…
Wietske Bradley, Australia, 1959
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Unlike most other migrants my reason for coming to Australia was not because I didn’t have a job. I worked as an apprentice painter at the naval dockyard. From a very young age I always wanted to travel to far away places, where there were rivers,…
Joseph Cutajar, Malta, 1955
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I was born in Budapest in February 1944. My earliest memory of the Hungarian Revolution was when I was twelve years old. I was standing in my backyard watching a bunch of gypsy kids as they ran towards a nearby church which was occupied by Russian soldiers.…
Bela Takats, Hungary, 1966
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