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 was 10 years old when my parents, Ricardo and Natividad Dompedro migrated to Australia from Spain with my sister and brother. . We left Spain in bitterly cold winter weather in the dark of night. As we boarded our plane I couldn’t understand…
Isabel Hooley nee Dompedro, Spain, 26/01/63
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My parents, Ricardo and Natividad Dompedro, migrated to Australia in 1963 from Spain with my sister Nati, brother Richard and myself (all under 12 years old), arriving on the 26th January 1963, Australia Day. What a fitting day to arrive in this wonderful…
Ricardo & Natividad Dompedro, Spain, 1963
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Grace and Ian decided to immigrate from Scotland to Australia with their three young daughters, Christine 5, and twins, Jacqueline & Patricia 3, because they felt that the opportunities would be better for their family.
We travelled to Australia…
Ian and Grace Halliday, Scotland, Mar-65
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A British Governor of the Crown Colony of Ceylon bemoaned in the early 20th century the rise of a new elite – anglicised and western-educated and hence alienated from the ordinary people. Both Monty and Siri’s families belonged to this…
Monty Ranawake, Sri Lanka, 1974
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I grew up in a typically large family of 9 children in Malta. At the time the eldest was around 21 years old, and the youngest 9 years old. The eldest four girls worked in local factories, the youngest girl and four boys where still at school. At the time…
Maureen Degabriele, Malta, 3/6/1969
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We travelled to Australia looking for a better future with my family and life opportunities and possibilities for us as.
It was a very hard lonely journey for our family of 5 people 3 children all under 10, my wife and I as we didn’t know what to …
George Nunez, Chile, 1973
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Griffith Joseph aged 30, his wife Rachel aged 30, and his daughter Margaret aged 3, sailed from Liverpool on 28 May 1859 on the “Commodore Perry” and arrived in Melbourne on 25 August 1859 to go on their own account to Castlemaine. (Assisted…
Griffith Joseph, Wales, 1859
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George Clement Gillott and Samuel Gillott were sons of a Yorkshire corn miller who died in 1851 when they were in their teens.
In August 1853 George disembarked in Melbourne from the sailing ship Carntyne and found employment as an articled clerk …
George Gillott, England, 24/08/1853
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Olympic Glory
In 1999 I left England to embark on a backpacking trip around the world. I planned my trip so I’d arrive in Sydney just prior to the Olympic Games because I was hoping to work at the Games. I was interviewed for the job of wheeling out…
Russell Wolfe, England, 2004
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Julian Edmund Tenison Woods left England to work in Tasmania as a lay preacher with Bishop Willson. Part of his role was to be the Chaplain to Prisoners in Tasmania.
They sailed from England on the 545 ton barque, Berenicia on October 15th 1854, arriving…
Julian Woods, England, 1855
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I was born in Goa, India in 1966. My parents were studying in India but moved to Tanzania when I was a few months old. I spent four happy years then with a large extended family. Too soon, the upheavals in Africa disrupted my childhood. My family left Tanzania…
Preeti Joshi, India, 1971
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Saviour Francis Galea was born in Attard, Malta, on August 14, 1933. He is known as Sam.
Sam was an adventurous young man whose friends had decided to come to Australia during the post-war era. Sam worked at Customs House which was a government post.…
Saviour (Sam) Galea, Malta, 1954
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Siro Zuccato, born 12 February 1925, Monfumo, Provincia Treviso Italy.
Matilde Cadorin, born 3 March 1927. Cavaso del Tomba Provincia Treviso Italy.
Siro Zuccato & Matilde Cadorin
The 20th January, 1951 saw the start of a life-long union …
Siro & Matilde Zuccato, ITALY, 1951
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Frederick’s parents were Irish and English and they looked for a better life in Australia
Father Frederick Gloss and his daughter Elizabeth arrived on the Demosthenes and his mother Eleanor and Frederick my father arrived two years later.…
Frederick Gloss, England, 1913
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I was caught up in the wave of post WWII emigration from the UK. My parents chose Southern Africa, which is where I grew up. I was inserted into a ‘Colonial’ situation and struggled to come to terms with this as I grew up. I was greatly aided…
John Tilston, England, 1986
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My Entire family were communists who were persecuted by the Islamic regime after the revolution. Many went to prison where they were tortutred and my fathers best friend was executed. My father managed not to be caught and in 1994 was smuggled out …
Poulad Naghoni-Bakhtiari, Iran, 1996
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Irma and Harry decided to migrate to Australia with their three children (Maria,7; Henri, 5, and John, 4) to experience a new beginning for their family and to join up with Irma’s sisters Henrietta (Jet) and Ann and Harry’s sister (Ann)…
Irma and Harry Moreels, The Netherlands, 1956
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I was born Maria Apolonia Francisca Broekhoven, 15th July 1921 in Rotterdam Nederland. Second child of 10 children, seven girls and three boys. My father Franciscus was a tax consultant and bookkeeper, and my mother Apolonia was a seamstress who…
Maria van den Boogaard, The Netherlands, 11/8/2014
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My name is John Hutson, I was born in 1938 in Hartlepool on the northeast coast of England, the son of Barbara and George Hutson and my early years were spent travelling around Britain so that my mother and I could be near to my father who was serving in …
John Hutson, England, 1981
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MIGRATION STORY OF MELITA MICALLEF FOR IMMIGRATION BRIDGE
Melita Micallef (nee Vassallo) was born in Cairo, Egypt on 28 June 1927. She was the fourth child born to George and Georgina Vassallo, Egyptian-born parents of Maltese descent.
At the young…
Melita Micallef, Egypt, 1950
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Wilhelmus Ludovicus VanDenHeuvel was born in Eindhoven, The Netherlands on 21st July 1932. Helena Ida Maria Kokhuis was born in Eindhoven, The Netherlands on 26th May 1934.
On 18th September 1957, Will married Leny. As they entered married life,…
Wilhelmus VanDenHeuvel, Netherlands, 1957
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Eric Russell Hill was born 8.10.1899 at Gibraltar, eldest son of Sgt. Montague Hill, an electrician in the British Army, and Eliza Fanny Hill (nee Newson).
When he was 4 1/2, the family returned to England living initially in Plymouth and then London.…
Eric Hill, U.K. (born Gibraltar), 1912
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Sam was an adventerous young man whose friends had decided to all come to Australia during the post war era. Sam worked at Customs House which was a government post. Malta was still British at that time. The govt was paying people to come over in fact …
Saviour{SAM} Galea, Malta, 1954
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My Great Grandfather was Ljubisav Jovanovic husband to Katarina (who I was named after) and father to Dobrina, Ljubinka and Borisav. To us he was know as Deda Proda. During WWII my great grandfather was a soldier in the Kings Army of Srba, Hrvata and…
Ljubisav Jovanovic, Srbija, Jugoslavija, 1945
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William Cochrane left Scotland to cut the stone at Moruya quarry for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (I do not have any further information, as all my family is now dead). Possibly there was the chance of a better life in Australia for the family.
I believe…
William Cochrane, Scotland, c1920
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Our earliest ancestor to arrive in Australia appears to be George Jones, born around 1799 in Wiltshire, England. At 19 he was a farmer when he was tried at Wiltshire for a Felony in 4 March 1820. Leaving his mother & father in his native place Calne…
George Jones, England, 1820
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William Jarvis was born in Leicester c.1785 & was a Bricklayer when he joined the 73rd Regt. in England. After being pensioned off in July 1821 he enlisted in Royal Veteran’s Corp as a Private in Jan 1826. A requirement was that enlistees…
William & family Jarvis, England, 1826
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