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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Dr. ANTHONY (ANTAL) ENDREY Q.C. (1922 – 2010) lawyer, author, cattle farmer, community leader (PART 2)
Tony was a leading member of the Hungarian community in Australia, serving as President of the Federal Council of Hungarian Associations…
Anthony (Antal) Endrey QC, Hungary, Apr-49
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Dr. ANTHONY (ANTAL) ENDREY Q.C. (1922 – 2010) lawyer, author, cattle farmer, community leader (PART 1)
Born in 1922 at Hódmezővásárhely, in south-east Hungary, on the Great Hungarian Plain, Anthony (Antal) Endrey was from a family …
Anthony (Antal) Endrey QC, Hungary, Apr-49
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Story of J. Herendi OAM, teacher, editor, publisher, community leader (1925-2011). PART 2
John is well known Australia wide for his key role in the success of four Hungarian Cultural Conventions when they were held in Adelaide:1976 (3rd), 1988 …
John (Janos) Herendi OAM, Hungary, 1950
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Story of J. Herendi OAM, teacher, editor, publisher, community leader (1925-2011). PART 1
Son of a machine toolmaker, John was born in the historic city of Eger in Northern Hungary in 1925. After completion of his secondary schooling at the Roman…
John (János) Herendi OAM, Hungary, 1950
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Mary married Robert Bogg (c1764-1829) in England. After his conviction in 1813, Mary brought her six children to Sydney on the “Broxbornebury” after petitioning the Government & they arrived only six months after Robert. The…
Mary Bogg, England, 1814
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James Oatley (1770-1839) Keeper of the [Sydney] Town Clock
James OATLEY was a watch and clock maker of Stafford, England, when at the age of 44 he was convicted at the Southampton Assizes on the 7th March 1814 for stealing beds and linen to the value …
James Oatley, England, 1815
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Reason for leaving homeland – I had a school friend who went to Australia with his family. He wrote telling me of the beautiful things to do like swimming in crystal clear sea, etc. I was working on a dairy farm at the time, not sure how I became informed…
Peter Burton, England, 1958
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John Charles WHITE was born in Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex but I am convinced he was Welsh. His immediate family all died of TB and he was directed to apprenticeship in London. He married Myrah OAKEY whose father had been Solicitor General for the British…
John Charles Shorey WHITE, England /Wales/, 1836
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Most likely reason that Samuel left Northern Ireland was due to Potato famine.
Samuel was the son of William Matchett and Esther Scott. He was born in 1830 in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Samuel was the first of the new arrivals to Australia.…
Samuel Matchett, Northern Ireland, 1852
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William was the son of Abraham Matchett and Mary Ann/Anne Jones. Born 31 December 1818. William was a Bounty Immigrant. He arrived in Sydney with 2 sisters, Eliza and Sarah, also Bounty Immigrants, in 4 December 1841 on the ‘Columbine’.…
William Matchett, Northern Ireland, 1841
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[Reason for leaving homeland]
It was easier to live in Australia, and my Mum is Australian so it was more convenient for her.
[About the Journey]
It was long, and tiring, and difficult at times, but worth it.
[Impressions on Arrival]
Amazing, and different…
Haylee Prats, Spain, 1997
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Thomas TYE, Kent, England, August 183
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I left Malta in 1957 aged 17.7 years, and was employed as a Marine Radio Officer in the British Merchant Navy till late 1962, then came to Sydney to work with A.W.A in the Australian Merchant Navy, but only lasted a few months and settled in Melbourne …
Joe Agius, Malta, 1963
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William and his wife Mary departed England to improve their life and that for their family. This was not unusual. William was the son of James Annett [First Generation] and was born 1806 in Kent .
William and Mary sailed from Plymouth on 21 May 1852. …
william annett, england, 1852
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Caroline Goward (nee Chuter) came to Australia a couple of years after her husband Thomas Goward was set upon, murdered and thrown into the Thames River, London. Shortly after that murder, their eldest son Alfred set out for Australia, arriving …
Caroline Goward, UK, 1888
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Mary Ann Axford arrived in Hobart Town on the convict ship the Atwick. She had been sentenced in Bath on 10th April 1837. Her convict record reveals she was ‘transported for stealing a hat from Thomas Mills, once for an umbrella, 12 months and…
Mary Ann Axford, England, 1838
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ. Part 7.
Eddie and his wife, Elizabeth had six children: Mayling, Peter, Francis Xavier, Maria, Elizabeth and Milissa. From that progeny, there are 13 grandchildren…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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On 13th Sept. 1955 my parents (Cornelis and Johanna Schellaars), 2 brothers (Arie aged 11 and Arnold aged 9) and I boarded the M.S. Sibajak in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to start our voyage to Australia. My parents wanted a new start for us all and …
Jacoba (Coby) Sturk (nee Schellaars), Netherlands, 1955
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I feel mine is an ordinary story probably common to many immigrants of my day. Comparatively I didn\’t endure the terrible suffering that World War II brought so many but my ordinary story was shaped by the extraordinary times in which we lived.…
Yvonne Taylor, England, 1954
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The remarkable stories of Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE and his father, Lew Nam, are told in six parts under Lew Nam’s name.
The stories are so intertwined that the editor felt that it was better to publish them as one. Given the difference of surname, …
Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, HonD.Qld. Univ., Hong Kong, 1937
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ. Part 6.
Eddie was a proud Chinese Australian who grossly resented the Japanese attacks and war crimes. Eddie’s determination, commitment, charismatic personality,…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ. Part 5.
Eddie arrived back in Australia fully expecting to resume his studies. The late Lau She Wan, Lew Nam’s nephew, who migrated to San Francisco said, ‘Eddie…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ. Part 4.
The only way to secure a berth was to have priority status. With this worsening situation, Eddie thought it timely to leave Hong Kong in the face of mounting Japanese…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ. Part 3
Lew Nam was not an educated man but an ounce of intuition is worth a pound of tuition!
Confucius said: ‘Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.’…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ. – Part 2.
In August 1940, following the fall of France, the situation in the Far East was reviewed and it was acknowledged yet again that Hong Kong was indefensible…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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The remarkable stories of Lew Nam and his son Dr Eddie Liu OAM, OBE, Hon.D. Qld Univ.- Part one
According to an ancient, time-proven Chinese proverb, just like a fish, everything must have a head and tail. In other words, everything must have a beginning…
Lew Nam, Ha Wang Chun, Wang Sui Heung, Toishan, China, 1898
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Part Two:
1975 saw the arrival of Toyota in Australia and Elemer’s company began to supply seats, seat adjusters and recliners, head restraints, etc. as well as car parts to their local assembly plant. Because the plant had no large storage…
Elemér Kozma, Hungary, 1957
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