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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Part One:
Elemér Kozma, master instrument & toolmaker, manufacturer, industrialist, founder of Kozma Industries in Bayswater, Vic. was born in eastern Transylvania’s pure ethnic Hungarian region of Romania, in Csíkszereda…
Elemér Kozma, Hungary, 1957
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My Story – Part Two
Somehow a little Italian child was placed on my lap and off we went, trying to get away from the burning ship as fast as we could . Because of the overload the life boat was very low in the water. The sea was very calm and it was a dark…
Jurgen Lehmann, Berlin Germany, 1958
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A lost young love, an overbearing parent and a desire to see the world were my reasons for coming to Australia. My intentions were to travel to Australia on my £10 ticket, work my way around the country for two years and return home to England. The working…
Christopher Smith, England, Mar-69
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Because of the difficult times in Berlin 1957 after the war and lack of employment opportunities for his 5
children, my father decided to migrate to Australia. My mother and I were not happy with that decision. As a
teenager I did not want to leave my …
Jurgen Lehmann, Germany, 1958
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The Story of Frank Molnar (Part Two)
In retirement, Frank kept himself busy by starting an Australian branch of the Hungarian ancient faith. During this period Frank made television and radio appearances.
Eventually Frank slowed his branch activities,…
Ferenc Kalman (Frank) Molnar, Hungary, 7/21/1949
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The Story of Frank Molnar (Part One)
Frank Molnar was a survivor. He was born Ferenc Kalman Molnar on 16th April 1923 in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. He was the youngest of Ferenc and Maria Molnar\’s three boys. Frank\’s father was renowned…
Ferenc Kalman (Frank) Molnar, Hungary, 7/21/1949
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David Sefton was born around 1805 and was living in Ballynahinch, Co Down, Ireland, although it is not known where he was born. He was a blacksmith by trade and married Mary Stewart, daughter of William Stewart. David and Mary had seven children: Margaret…
David Sefton, Ireland, 1841
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Henry Myddleton was born ROBERT NEWMAN on 23 August 1820, the youngest child in a family of ten. His father, John Newman, a tea and grocery merchant in Exeter, Devon, England, died in 1822, and his mother, Susannah (nee Cornish), died six years later.…
Henry Myddleton, England, 1843
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John Tresidder Stephens was born at Helston, Cornwall, England, and baptised there on 26 December 1794. He was one of six sons born to Robert Stephens and his wife Jane (nee Tonkin). Ipsa Michell was born in the fishing village of Mevagissey in Cornwall…
John & Ipsa Stephens, England, 1854
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Stephen (Steve) Russ was born in the village of East Lambrook, Somerset, England, on 25 April 1861, the fifth of eight sons born to Samuel Russ and Elizabeth Masters. On 17 June 1880, Stephen left Plymouth, England, on the steamship “Carnatic”…
Stephen & Mary Ann Russ, England/Ireland, 1880/1881
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George Colliver was born in the parish of Kingston near Ivybridge, Devonshire, England, and was baptised there on 16 September 1804. He was one of 11 children of John Colliver, a farmer, and Mary (nee Veale).
Margaret Stabb was also born in Kingston…
George & Margaret Colliver, England, 1849
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Francis Adolphus Patterson was born Frans Adolph Petersson on 10 March 1835 in Varberg, Sweden. He was the son of Pehr Olsson, a public house landlord, and his wife Anna Christina Torsdotter. It was customary in Sweden in those times for a son to take…
Francis Patterson, Sweden, 1853
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John Edney was born in East Dean, Hampshire, England, and was baptised on 3 April 1814 in the parish church of St. Winfrid (now 1000 years old). He was one of eight children of Samuel Edney, a labourer, and Betty (nee Webb). At the age of 25, he came to Australia…
John & Mary Edney, England, 1840/1841
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Henry (Harry) James Wallace was born at Ballycourcy, Co Wexford, Ireland, on 2 August 1847, and was baptised at St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, Enniscorthy on 22 October. He was the tenth child of William James Wallace and his wife Anne (nee Hawkins)…
Henry James Wallace, Ireland, 1866
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Alexander Fraser was born on 23 August 1792 in the district of Stratherrick, Inverness-shire, Scotland, the son of Hugh Fraser and his wife Isobella Fraser (her maiden surname). Stratherrick runs down the Eastern side of Loch Ness in the Highlands…
Alexander & Magdalene Fraser, Scotland, 1840
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Samuel Dunn was the son of Samuel Dunn and Sarah Ann (nee Baker) and was born on 24 August 1862 at Burnham Overy, Norfolk, England. His father was the innkeeper of the ‘Jolly Sailors Inn’, and was also involved in fishing. The family later…
Samuel Dunn, England, 1882
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At the end of the war in 1945 my Dad returned to Turin from prison of war camp in Germany, and after some time back at his old job decided to go to a new country.
My mother remembered she had an uncle in Australia and in due course made contact. He was able to…
Giuseppe & Anna Sartore, Italy, 1947
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THOMAS BATES
Our second ancestor to arrive in Australia was sent here as a convict. His name was Thomas Bates and his crime was stealing two left boots valued at 10 shillings from the counter of a Mr Bell shoe maker near London. He was arrested and charged…
Thomas Bates, England, 1790
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Part Two
Andor was unusually versatile in the range of his sculptural modes, he could be categorized as dramatic narrative artist adopting preferred timeless theme subjects: the story of Jesus, maternal love, man’s need to adapt in a hostile…
Andor Meszaros ( Mészáros), Hungary, 1939
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Part One.
Andor Meszaros (1900-1972), trained architect, sculptor, artist-medallist was born in Budapest into a middle class family, the son of Alexander Mészáros, solicitor, and his wife Bertha, nee Grunsberg, a well known sculptress. Andor…
Andor Meszaros ( Mészáros), Hungary, 1939
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Part 2 – the Journey to Australia
Aphrodity departed Athens on 27 April, 1947, travelling on a Qantas flying boat with about 45 other passengers. Overnight stops included Cairo (where she saw and ate her first banana), Saudi Arabia, Iran (visiting…
Aphrodity Cretan (nee Kandilierakis), Greece, 5/5/1947
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Part Two
Alex Pongrass greatly contributed to the Hungarian communal life in Sydney. He financially supported many charity drives, amongst them stands out his generous donation of the equivalent value of a suburban house to help the refugees arriving…
Alex (Sándor) Pongrass (Pongrácz), Hungary, 1950
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Part One
Alex Pongrass AM, businessman, captain of industry (engineering, boat building, furniture manufacture), joint-founder of the National Soccer League (NSL), soccer administrator, benefactor (1923-2000).
Alex was born into an impoverished…
Alex (Sándor) Pongrass (Pongrácz), Hungary, 1950
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Wilhelm Bernhard Mark was born at Kiel, Denmark on the 30/5/1843. His father’s name was Wilhelm Mark and his mother’s name was Helene Marie Mathiesen.
He married Mette Kjistine Nielsen at Verstrup, Denmark on the 13 April 1867. He came…
Wilhelm Bernhard Mark, Denmark, 1871
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Alfred Horvath, forester, technical draftsman, road works engineer-contractor was born in Moson near the Austrian border in North-East Hungary. After his secondary education in Mosonmagyaróvár he attended and graduated from Royal Hungarian…
Alfred (Alfréd) Horvath (Horváth), HUNGARY, 13.11.1951
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Frederick Samuel Larter was typical of many middle-class Englishmen of his day. He worked, married and reared his family, living with tenuous employment prospects, but still in relative security for the times, in Enfield, on the northern outskirts…
Frederick Larter, England, 1910
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Martin Berg was born to Martin Berg and Anna Maria Ladiges on January 1825, in Holm in the Parish of Wedel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He married Catherina Elsabe Ladiges [1827-1912] daughter of Jurgen Detlev Ladiges and Anna Catherina Witt …
Martin Berg, Germany, 1854
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