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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I arrived in Australia in September 1974, aboard the SS Britannis, with my friend Eleanor, for an exciting adventure. We had finished our nurses’ training at Guys Hospital in London and wanted to work somewhere warm and sunny.
I was born in …
Christine Lovatt (nee Evans), England, 1974
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William SWINDAIL was born in Church, Lancashire, England, about 1855 of parents Isaac SWINDAIL and Elizabetrh LEES. Church was the name of a small village, which was also known as Church Kirk. He was a stonemason.
Shipping records reveal W. and D.…
William SWINDAIL, England, c1882
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There are several variants of Thomas’s surname. The following are the spellings for records that have been found whilst researching;
SARJEANT/SARGEANT/SERGEANT/SARGENT/SEARJEANT/SEARGEANT
Thomas SARJEANT was born in London, England,…
Thomas SARJEANT, England, 1827
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Anne CREIGHTON was born in the small town of Newtown-Stewart, County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1822. She arrived at Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, on 15 January, 1841, aboard the “Ferguson”, her occupation then being a house servant who could…
Anne MELVEN (nee CREIGHTON), Ireland, 1841
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James MELVEN was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, about 1798, (abt 12/5/1798, St.Nicholas, Aberdeen). On 7/7/1831 at St.Nicholas, Aberdeen, he married Ann FLEMING (b.abt 1795). James was described as a labourer of Aberdeen, and Ann as the daughter…
James MELVEN, Scotland, c1839
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George SMITH was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, in 1777. On 10 August, 1805, at Warwick Assizes, England, he was sentenced to 7 years transportation. He left England on 28 January, 1806, aboard the “Fortune”, mastered…
George SMITH, England, 1806
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It is probable that he was born in England around 1785, and it is possible he may be identical with the seaman who arrived in Sydney on the ship, “Brothers” on 4/4/1807. He must have had some knowledge of the sea, as he was later to sail in …
Robert MURRAY, England, c1807
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No records of Robert WATSON’s wife can be found, nor any information as to the mother of his children. However, there is some speculation indicating that Sarah DORSET may have been the mother of his children. The following are the facts about…
Sarah DORSET, England, 1789
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Robert WATSON was born in England about 1756. He arrived in Australia on 26/1/1788 with The First Fleet, being a Royal Navy Quartermaster aboard “HMS Sirius”. A Quartermaster’s duties included attending to the ships’…
Robert WATSON, England, 1788
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Mary HARRISON was born in England in 1774. In 1790, she was performing live-in servant duities for the family of Thomas and Catherine WEST at 26 Lower Sloan Street, Chelsea, being employed there for about 5 months. Whilst working at the house certain…
Mary HARRISON, England, 1791
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Edward ROBINSON was born about 1754, in England. At the age of 34, Edward was a servant to Tate WILKINSON, who operated the Theatre Royal in York. Edward lived in lodgings at the rear of the theatre, in what was called Mint Yard. It is assumed he lived …
Edward ROBINSON, England, 1791
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This is essentially my father\’s story, but of course that means that it is also a large part of my mother\’s story, my own story and the stories of my two brothers. It will remain a thread woven through the stories of our children and those…
Robert Curran, Northern Ireland, 1949
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Maria’s (REID) maiden name is unknown. It is presumed she was born in County Down, Ireland about 1790. She married Matthew REID, and had 3 children in Newry, Ireland. Research reveals that she probably arrived in Hobart Town on 18/2/1834 aboard…
Maria REID, Ireland, 1834
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Matthew REID, was born in Newry, County Down, Ireland about 1785. He was a builder/architect. Not much is known of his life in Ireland apart that he married Maria (surname unknown), and had 3 children born in Newry.
Matthew REID and his family probably…
Matthew REID, Ireland, 1834
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Stephen WILLIAMS was born 29/4/1810, in Midgham, Berkshire, England, to parents Richard WILLIAMS and Hannah TUBB. His occupation was described as a spadesman, reaper, and milker. He was a single man and uneducated. His physical description being,…
Stephen WILLIAMS, England, 1831
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Frances Jane FURNER was born in Rye, Sussex, England, on 30/12/1838, and she was christened on 2/4/1841 to parents Frederick FURNER and Anne DEEPROSE. In 1842, at the age of three years, with her family, she sailed for Australia aboard “The…
Frances Jane FURNER (MOORE), England, 1842
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Charlotte Louisa de BELIN was born in Havre, France, about 1827 to parents Reverend Charles Joseph de BELIN and Mary Ann Nugent WATTS, her father conducting an English School in France for the previous 10 years. The family then moved to the Channel…
Charlotte Louisa de BELIN (LYDIARD), France, 1857
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Maria REID was born in Newry, County Down, Ireland, about 1817. It is not certain when she came to Australia, but it is thought she arrived aboard the “Othello” at Hobart Town, Tasmania, on 18/2/1834, with her parents (see history of …
Maria REID (MOORE/CAMPBELL), Ireland, 1834
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James MOORE was born in Newry, County Down, Ireland, about 1812. It appears that he arrived in Tasmania in the late 1820’s or early 1830’s. Of some interest, there is a James MOORE listed as a passenger on the “Othello” sailing…
James MOORE, Ireland, 1834
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Mary CLARK was a native of County Armagh, Ireland, having been born about 1796. In 1822, she was employed as a milk maid (butter and cheese), and was described as being 5ft 4 1/2ins, with fresh complexion, blonde hair, and hazel eyes. She was Protestant…
Mary CLARK (McCREADY/DWYER), Ireland, 1823
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William McCREADY was apparently born in County Down, Ireland, about 1785. In 1822 he was still living in Ireland, and working as a butter and cheese maker. He was of average height, being 5ft 7in, had a dark complexion, and dark hazel eyes. He was Prostestant…
William McCREADY, Ireland, 1823
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Anne DEEPROSE was born on 5/6/1810, in Ninfield, Sussex, England., and was christened there on 9/9/1810 – daughter of Thomas DEEPROSE and Sarah RUSSELL. She married Frederick James FURNER on 12/6/1828 in Rolvenden, Kent, England. Anne …
Anne FURNER (nee DEEPROSE), England, 1842
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Frederick James FURNER, was born about 1807, in Iden, Sussex, England. He was christened there on 7/3/1808. He married Anne DEEPROSE, on 12/6/1828, at Rolvenden, Kent, England. He was a farm labourer, however, on his daughter’s 1839 English…
Frederick James FURNER, England, 1842
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Efmenios was the oldest son of 7 children and due to the difficult economic conditions at the time, he decided that he would leave his home town of Thiva and emigrate to Australia.
His brother Lucky had already arrived 2yrs earlier and Efmenios thought…
Efmenios Tsotras, Greece, 1960
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Due to the economic hardships and political unrest on his home Island of Lesbos, Stelios decided to emigrate from his small village of Agia Paraskevi to Australia, leaving behind his 2yr old daughter Mercina and his wife Theodora.
Once in Australia…
Stelios Kypreos, Greece, 1965
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The Story of Gema Gonzalez, Part 2 – AUSTRALIA JANUARY 1974
Some women were crying; others were very happy; some others were desperate because their children refused to eat the different food. Those mothers could not communicate to anyone…
Gema Gonzalez, Catalonia, Spain, Jan-74
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GEMA\’S STORY Part 1, Journey from Catlonia to Brisbane
This is the story and adventures of a little girl born it North Spain, (Catalonia) in 1948, and growing up with the poverty and miseries in postwar times after the Spanish civil war and …
Gema Gonzalez, Catalonia, Spain, Oct-73
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