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 parents were married in 1940, a typical war time romance. My father saw service in North Africa and Italy. After he was demobbed, they tried various businesses, with not much success. My father was a painter and decorator, and my mother eventually…
Sue Pye, England, 1971
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Reason for leaving homeland – Widow with child no prospects for work .
About the Journey – Sharing cabin with 2 other mothers with 2 and 3 children respectively. Younger child of larger family had obsession with my dolls and slippers …
Giovanna & Flavia Fonda, Italy, 1957
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My reason for leaving? Was not really leaving in that sense. I wanted to “do something else” for a change, travel and enjoy Australia’s space and relaxed way of life. Arrived in Cairns in the hot tropics to embark on my 6 month “leave…
Caroliene Goopy, The Netherlands, 1999
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Frank Chapman emigrated as a newly married young man seeking change and opportunity, and, quite likely, gold. When he emigrated in 1849 he was a freshly trained and finished blacksmith, who had three months earlier married. He was born in 1823, second…
Francis Stimpson CHAPMAN, Norfolk, England, 1849
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I was born on the third of December 1949 in Barcelona Spain. The Dictator Francisco Franco was in his 12th year of absolute power on what was going to be thirty-eight years of oppression.
My parents, as many Spaniards, were victims of the 1936 Civil …
Anna Gonzalez (maiden name Fonollosa), Spain, 1973
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Returning to a post-war England on rations, after serving in the Royal Air Force in Burma and India, my father found it difficult to settle. In June 1951 Reg, Glad, Maureen and John Carter sailed for Australia from England on the P&O liner Maloja,…
Reginald, Gladys, Maureen, John Carter, England, 1951
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IMMIGRATION Bridge
Why Immigrate?
Carl Erdmann J€CKEL, with his wife J. Eleonore, nee BLEICHER, and two children, Hermann Carl J€CKEL (age 8), and Auguste Luise J€CKEL (age 5) left the Bohemian mountains of South Silesia for Australia to…
Erdmann J€CKEL, Silesia, PRUSSIA, 1848
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My parents Deogracias Martinez and Alfonsa Martinez migrated to Australia on the 29th of December 1961 taking me (nine years old at the time) with them. I suppose their main reason for leaving their homeland was basically the same as any migrant’s:…
Celia Martinez, Spain, 1962
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Andy was born in a log farmhouse in Transylvania. His grandfather and father worked in forestry and the Vita family lived a satisfying life in a community used to supplying most of their own needs. In 1940, at age 13, he went off to a boarding college …
Andy Vita, Hungary, 1949
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The Australian Story of James Chung Gon (Part Two)
As Chinese Elder, James Chung Gon was involved in business and civic affairs. He was one of the prime organisers of the Chinese Dragon Procession to raise funds for the initial development of the now…
James Chung Gon (Part Two), China, 1873
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The Australian Story of James Chung Gon PART ONE
James Chung Gon (1855-1952) was born in a rural, tropical village Ping Gang Cun, Xin Hui (Sunwei) County, Guang Dong (Kwangtung Province), in Southern China.
In this the era living conditions in China…
James Chung Gon (Part One), China, 1873
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My Father, Wing Kum Foy later known as William Foy, immigrated from Canton to Brisbane arriving on the steamship ‘Changsha’ with his brother Wan Che Cheong.
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From his Certificate of Registration his addresses were;-
c/- 92 Albert …
Wing Kum Foy, Canton, China, 1899
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Our Story Ð We had a Farm in Africa.
We, Andy and Dawn, were married in Bulawayo – Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe on the 8th March 1969.
This is our story.
We had a small farm in Africa and we called it ‘Andaw’ it was ours. It was about 23km out…
Andy & Dawn MacDonald, Rhodesia, 1978
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Hi my name is Paul Clyne and I am writing this story on behalf of my parents as I am purchasing a spot on the immigration bridge as a suprise christmas gift for them both.
It is really quite an eye opener to actually realise how little I really do know as to…
David Clyne, Scotland, 1970
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John Lazarus Crainean was born in Novo Selo (Satu Nou), Banat, Yugoslavia on 27 October 1912 of Romanian parents. At age 24 he married Maria Dragut at Rasa Viceni on 18 April 1937, the day before her 20th birthday. In 1936 my dad John left Romania with…
John Crainean, Romania, 1938
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Teresa\’s village on Northern Italy, One Di Fonte, in the province of Treviso was home for her mother, father, five brothers and six sisters. It was a large family, of which she was the eldest child.
Being the eldest, she had to be more of a help…
Teresa Reginato (nee Cremasco), Italy, 1959
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Like many young men in post World War 2 Northern Italy, Antonio knew that opportunity and a better life would not be found in his village of Paderno del Grappa, Treviso. The year was 1955, Antonio was 20 years old and about to leave his parents and a younger…
Tony (Antonio) Reginato, Italy, 1955
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On 19 April 1917 my mother, Maria Crainean was born in Murgas, Oltenia, Romania, the eldest daughter of Julia and Ion Ilie Dragut. Two sisters and 7 brothers were left behind in Romania after she married John on 18.04.1937 at Rasa Viceni. Her family…
Maria Crainean, Romania, 1938
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Josiah Hunt, England, 1854
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Isabella Cook (nee Fairley), Scotland, 1908
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I moved to Australia as a child with my family. I was 6 when we arrived in Australia. It was a move my parents had considered for many years, and the relocation took place some 6 months after my fathers older sister had also moved to Australia.
Being only…
Tracy Houlton (nee Cresswell), Lincolnshire, England, 28/06/77
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Reason for leaving homeland – For a better quality of life, better weather, to get out of the rat race in a city called London, to live and not just to exist in a place, to be closer to nature and to be able to get away from people.
About the Journey …
Iain Bignell, England, 2004
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Frederick Cook, England, 1856
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Anton Bibo was born in Nassau, Germany, probably in 1825 but possibly in 1828. His father was Jacob Bibo and his mother not listed.
He arrived in Australia at Melbourne on the Great Britain in May 1873, when he gave his age as 45 (born 1828). He was accompanied…
Anton Bibo, Germany, 1873
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JAMES WILLIAM FILLEUL, born on 14th Feb 1834 at ‘Verclut\’ Cottage, Parish of Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands, was the third of 12 children born to Jean and Marguarite Filleul. He started off his career as a carpenter, but later …
James W Filleul, Jersey, Channel Islands, 1857
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STORY
OF
RAGNAR ALFRED RAMSTADIUS
Ragnar Alfred Ramstadius was born in Abo/Turku in Finland on 26th June 1905 and died in Melbourne, Australia in 1989. In 1923, Ragnar (aged 18) sailed for Australia on the 3 masted ‘Kathara’ to Newcastle,…
RAGNAR RAMSTADIUS, Finland, 1923
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László (a.k.a. Les) Deák (1928- 2002)
Story:
Born in 1928, Laszlo was the son of a well to do, landholding, sawmill owning family in Pusztakovácsi, Southwest Hungary. Towards the end of WW2, as a young teenager in 1944, he was taken by force by …
Laszlo Deák, Hungary, 1949
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