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 remember that as Dad preceded us, and as he was directly involved in the East Newborough development, he was able to ‘ear mark’ our house (21 Childers Street (and also acquire some basic furnishings in that three months). He also realised…
John William Blythe, England, 1950
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We left our country early in the seventies, with a baggage full of hope and a mixture of enthusiasm and apprehension.
We left our country, our families, our friends, our way of life for a new country, of which we knew very little, let alone language comprehension.…
Chano Calderon, Chile, 1972
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In search of a better future was the motivation behind leaving Greece.
My father, Christos born 1933, originated from a mountainous village called ‘Roumanou\’ on the outskirts of the port city of Patras in Southern Greece. One of 7 …
Ioannis Kourloufas, Greece, 1963
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Born 1936 in the region of Olympia, Southern Greece at a mountainous village called ‘Sithirokastro\’. The oldest of four children, my father was the village blacksmith who traded his skills to provide for the family. Life was poor,…
Sotirios Manolopoulos, Greece, 1955
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My name is Roger Francis Bailey, and I was born on the 17th September 1937 in Madras (Chennai) India.
In the middle to late sixties, members of the Anglo-Indian Community started migrating to Australia. Initially I was not interested as I had a good…
Roger Bailey, India, 1971
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The Le Quiniat Story
Guillaume Le Quiniat was born in the Gšelo coastal village of Plouha, Brittany, France in October 1865 the son of Pierre Le Quiniat and Marie Reine Cartier and grandson of his namesake, Guillaume Le Quiniat born in 1788 who fought…
Guillaume Le Quiniat, Brittany, France, 1882
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I was born near Venice, Italy. This area of northern Italy was greatly affected during World Wars I & II, as it borders Austria, and is close to Germany. My father was born in 1935 and when WWII ended in 1945 so did his education. As he was one of eight…
Susanna Munaretto, Italy, 1972
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I worked as the senior English teacher at Montfort Higher Secondary School, Yercaud. The school was managed by a religious order called the Brothers of St. Gabriel. Most of the principals who ran the school during the 13 years I worked there (there…
Rexton D’Cruz, India, 1991
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Gunner Gunnersen was born in Ronnes, near Grimstad, on Oslo Fjord, Southern Norway. His father and grand father were shipbuilders and his grand father\’s brother was a sailor who perished in a shipwreck on the Goodwin Sands. Before that his…
Captain G. Gunnersen (Part 1of story), Norway, 1879
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Part 2
Veneers and plywood were relatively new products to the Australian market in the early 20th century and Thorold was something of a pioneer. He led Gunnersen Nosworthy into trading plywood and veneers, both from overseas mills and from the …
Captain G. Gunnersen (Part 2 of story), Norway, 1879
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As a, Post WW11 soldier, William Nicholson believed a fresh start for himself and his family, (wife, son and daughter) would benefit them all.
The passage to Australia involved a six (6) week journey by ship (S.S.New Australia), via South Africa,…
William Nicholson, Scotland U.K., 1957
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I was born in New Caledonia, the Dream Island of Javanese parents brought to New Caledonia as labour – I am one of 11 children and grew up on a farm. At the age of 17 I went to France and played 1st division football. In France I studied law but did not…
Sam Sadimoen, New Caledonia, 1984
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Christoph Friedrich Joachim Metelmann was born in Wismar in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenberg-Schwerin on August 9th 1828. News of the gold strikes in Australia travelled round the world and inspired immigrants from many lands to seek their fortune.…
Christoph Metelmann, Mecklenberg-Schwerin, 1857
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Yvonne Maarse was born in the Netherlands to an English-born mother and Dutch father. At age 19, she travelled to London to stay with family friends whilst improving her English-language skills and furthering her fledgling career as a hospital …
Yvonne Maarse(now Read), Netherlands, 1970
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David Boon was born at The Mill, Crease Drove, Ramsay, Huntingdonshire on 1st January, 1836. He was one of 7 children born to David and Lucy Boon (nee Woolley). In the 1841 census his father’s occupation was noted as an agricultural labourer.…
David Boon, England, 1857
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After the Irish potato famine of 1845 – 1847, the catastrophic agricultural conditions hit Scotland. The massive unemployment within the country became a burden upon the government and landlords. It was then decided by government and the…
Jane and William Alexander, Scotland, 24/09/1858
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Elisa Young (nŽe Hansen) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and came to Australia with her parents in 1911. Her father, Ole Peder Hansen was a builder and her mother (Boline Larsen) looked after the home.
Elsa lived in Western Australia for 90 years.…
Elisa Young (nŽe Hansen), Denmark, 1911
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I was five when I left Nottingham, England to sail on the ship Maloja with my parents Mabel and James and older brother (Barry) and younger sister (Yvonne). We arrived in Melbourne on the 18th July 1948 after being at sea for 6 weeks. Dad already had two…
Pauline Lambert, England, 1948
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Gottfried Sitzwohl, known to his family as Friedl, to his grandchildren as ‘Oppi’ and later to his Australian workmates as George, was born in Sarajevo on the 2nd of March, 1912. Rosalia Kancilijak, later to become Gottfried\’s…
The Sitzwohl Family, Jugoslavia, 1949
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John Granleese was born 7/3/1849 in Stughan, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, to parents John Granleese (farmer) and Catherine Elliott. He married c1870 to Anastasia Lacy and they had 5 children who were baptised in the Manchester …
John GRANLEESE, Co.Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 1886
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My mother Hildegard and I as a 13 year old followed my father Oscar Beran 10 years after he had to flee Vienna in 1939 from the Nazis. His parents perished in a concentration camp because they could not get a Visa to emigrate. They had been deported in 1941…
Monica Ingrid BERAN, Austria, 1949
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James Richard Lucy was born in London 20th February 1866. He was the son of a London Cab driver. Born within the sound of the Bow Bells, he was what is said to be a true Cockney.
On 20th May 1884 he accepted The Kings Shilling and became 2917 Private James…
James Richard Lucy, England, 1891
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Alice Kate Lucy was born Alice Kate Wright in Argentina in 1872. Her early life was very adventuresome – travelling with her parents to Africa and Australia. Both countries provided precarious adventures for the young girl and her family.…
Alice Lucy (nŽe Wright ), Argentina, 1883
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In the summer of 1997 Fritz Voser and his wife, Ruth Angela Voser visited his uncle from Toggenburg in Switzerland . Uncle Hansruedi told Fritz that he would go to Australia to house sit a friend\’s farm in the next year or so.
Spontaneously Fritz…
Fritz & Ruth Angela & Steven Voser, Switzerland, 19.09.2000
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James Tivendale was baptised 1826 at Largo, Fife, Scotland, parents Thomas Teviotdale (Tevendale on his death) and Helen Peebles. James, a weaver, married Janet Skeil 1826-1900 in 1848 at Largo, emigrating to Australia on the CHILDE HAROLD arriving…
James TIVENDALE, Fife, Scotland, 1853
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Life Story of Olga Doikos (2)
My parents migrated to the USA in the 1920\’s from the village of Melas (Macedonia – Northern Greece), to us know as Statitsa. I was born in Detroit, Michigan in the year of 1926 to Arthur (Atanas) and Tsila …
OLGA DOIKOS, MACEDONIA - Greece, 1/1/1948
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My Life Story: Antula Dimov (nee: Doikos)
I was born 1947 in the village of Melas, to my family known as Statisa in the Macedonian language – district Kastoria (Macedonia, Northern Greece). During the civil war in Greece 1946-49 together with…
ANTULA DIMOV, MACEDONIA - GREECE, 1/1/1948
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