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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Australian is a better place to bring up my daughter than Japan, because there are a lot of wonderful parks to play and it is easy for her to learn English. In addition, as my wife’s parents have been living in Melbourne, they will be a great help…
Koji Fujiie, Japan, 8/8/2008
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Reson for leaving
On the 3rd November in 2006 my daughter and I left Shanghai to fly to Melbourne because I married a Malaysian Australian man. When we first arrived at the Melbourne airport, we were in a bit shock because we could only hear people speaking…
Qing Xiang Liu, China, 2006
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I heard about Australia many times from friends and media. It\’s a special continent with red soil, unique terrain, gum trees and koalas. My wife (Baohua Yu) and I decided to migrate to Australia for a new life style with fresh air, green grass,…
Qiyuan Liu, China, 2008
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I first arrived in Australia in 2001 with my two daughters. My family decided to come to Australia because we were worried about the future in Hong Kong after 1997. Also I wanted my two daughters to study in Australia.
I was excited to land on Australia…
wai choy, hongkong, 2001
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The Arrival in Australia
The first time I arrived in Melbourne, Australia was in July, 2005. I stayed there for one month to visit my parents who had already settled down in Feb, 2005. Since they had retired from their jobs in China, they decided to migrate…
MANDY QI, CHINA, 2005
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Limei YANG
I came to Melbourne in June 2008. I have never spent such a long time living alone in another country. Sometimes it is really lonely because I miss my husband and daughter.
Our family got the class-136 visa in 2007. We went back to China after…
Moon Liu, China, 2008
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My family(my husband, my son and I) arrived in Australia on the 17th April, 2008. My husband worked in Korea for 10 years and he wanted to study more. In Korea, we were so busy and we were in bitter competition for life. Additionally, there is much competition…
Miyong Han, South Korea, 2008
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Travelling has always been a part of my life, having backpacked to 28 countries on five continents. On a trip through SE Asia I met a fellow traveller from the UK who was always extolling the virtues of Australia. All I could imagine was that big, empty…
Kieran Gelfand, Canada, 2005
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I grew up in a very poor family. The third child of a six children family, I experienced the daily pain of living from hand to mouth. The house which we were renting for A$15 a month had leaking roof, rotting floor-boards and walls full of holes. Under …
Kong TEH, Malaysia, 1989
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Reason for leaving homeland – Poverty and lack of work. Having come from a large family, we struggled to earn money to eat. Palmina was one of 7 children and Oreste was one of 11 children.
About the Journey – They both came across on a ship…
Palmina and Oreste Carbone, Italy, 1962/63
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Reason for leaving homeland – Poverty and opportunity to take up study and make a future in a new country.
In Fiji Chris sat for an English exam to qualify to come to Australia. Chris passed and took off for Australia with a suit case and $500.00…
Christopher Parshotam Marshall, Fiji, 1979
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Reason for leaving homeland – Left 12 Station Road Metheriingham Lincolnshire England to marry an Australian Serviceman – RAAF Flying Officer John Daniel Trowbridge. Served three years on bomber command at Driffield Yorkeshire…
Elizabeth Eileen Trowbridge, England, 1946
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My Grandmother immigrated to Australia four years after we did (The Foster-Bailey Family-1952) when my father was ‘called up\’ during World War ll she moved in with my mother to keep her company and to help with us children, after the…
Gertrude Symes, England, 1956
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Alfio Favazza had just returned from the War where he was at the Russian Front and away from Italy for almost 2 years. He was one of two from the thirteen from his village of Gaggi, Sicily who survived the Russian conflict. When he was repatriated back…
Alfio FAVAZZA, ITALY, 1949
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Tristram Bath was born in Stithians, a village near Truro, Cornwall. His baptism was on 7 Jan 1802. He was the 9th child of James and Jenny Bath. In 1804 both parents, his eldest brother, and another brother all died. He was brought up by his uncle William…
Tristram Bath, Cornwall, England, 1840
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Stanislaw Sieminski, one of his 3 sisters and his parents were forcibly transported to a labour camp in Siberia from Poland early in WWII as parts of Poland were annexed by Russia. Both his parents died there shortly afterwards. Stanislaw was released…
Stanislaw Sieminski, Poland (via Argentina), 1964
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I migrated to Australia as a 10 month old baby with my parents, Arie and Aly Alblas and older brother Albert from Zwolle, The Netherlands in 1982. We moved to this great country in hope of a more prosperous future. The assistance of the Dutch Reformed…
Willemyntje Alblas, Netherlands, 1982
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Jon loved the stories he’d read about Australia. He wanted to be somewhere where there was lots of opportunity. His father had the opportunity to emigrate to Australia when Jon was 14, but this didn’t eventuate. But this inspired Jon…
Jon Bardell, England, 1972
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Overland Trip to Oz
My father Alan Dawson did not get on with his family in the ancient English market town of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and decided to take us as far away from them as possible. He sold the family newsagency and bought a large green …
Peter James Dawson, England, 1960
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We, my father John, my mother Pat and my brother and sister, David and Celia lived in Cornwall after the war. Food was still rationed and decent accommodation scarce. (We, a family of five and my grandmother shared a house with a mother and her six children)…
John,Pat,David,Veronica & Celia Foster-Bailey, England, 1952
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Rev Dr Gelson Engel (baptised Gottlob) was born on 10 October 1868 in Rottenacker, Germany, where his father Daniel was the schoolmaster. After the death of his father the family moved to Neckarhausen near Nurtingen where he received a classical…
Gelson Engel, Germany, 1898
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My first trip to Australia was in 1990. Cairns was the first city I visited. It was a new life experience for a sporty woman like me at that time. I really enjoyed the water sports and wildlife there.
In 1992, I travelled to Australia again but with my family…
Kitrox Wong, Hong Kong, 2008
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The first time I arrived in Melbourne, Australia was in July, 2005. I stayed there for one month to visit my parents who were already settled down in Feb, 2005. Since they had retired from their jobs in China, they decided to migrate to Melbourne where…
MANDY QI, CHINA, 2005
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In 2007,my husband and I immigrated to Australia, Melbourne.There wasn\’t any special reason, but we liked it here, so we came. We didn\’t here any friends or relations.
When we walked out of the airport door with two large suitcases,…
Jessica zou, china, 2007
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Parents looking for a better life for their children and opportunity for full time employment.
Sailed on the SS Oswestry Grange a vessel of 6591 tonnes had a speed of 13 knots. Passenger accommodation for 24 first class and 16 second class passengers…
William Foreman, England, 1911
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Reason for leaving homeland: GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS IN AUSTRALIA.
He sailed from Tilbury docks aboard the SS Largs Bay a steamship of 13852 tonnes (quite a small ship) on the 20 February 1923 arriving at Sydney on 4 April 1923 a six weeks journey.…
Gilbert Purcell, England, 1923
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They left West Germany ,mainly due for economic reasons West Germany at the time was in a very bad way ,due to World War 2. Hence they came to Australia for a better economic future for themselves and their future children.
Hans Wohltmann came to Australia…
Hans and Helga WOHLTMANN, WEST GERMANY, 1950/1951
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