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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On the 14th of March 1838, Kyran Walsh was sentenced to Life Imprisonment in the Queen’s County Court, Ireland for House Robbery. He was 26 years of age with no previous convictions. On the 10th of September 1838, he and many other convicts arrived…
Kyran Walsh, Ireland, 1838
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There is no recorded birthplace or birth date for John Frederick Francis. He was an illegal immigrant who jumped ship in Urangan, Hervey Bay, Queensland in 1856 when he was about 14 years of age. John was a cabin boy who left home to go to sea at the age …
John Francis, England, 1856
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Sarah was the daughter of James Thornber and Ann ( Hartley). She was the second youngest of 11 children. Her father was firstly a farmer of “Spout House” near Colne, England. He became a cotton manufacturer and then a clothier at 13 Market…
Sarah THORNBER, England, 1839
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Herman Gerdes was born in Osternberg, Germany, son of Anton Gunther Gerdes of Berne and Helene (Ziesen ). His Application for Certificate of Naturalisation in 1907 states that he arrived in Sydney on the “Cornalis Bernhard Edward ”…
Herman Gerard GERDES, Germany, 1856
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Michael Condon of Kiltankin, Tipperary and Mary Courtney of Kilbehenny, Limerick were married in Ballyporeen, Tipperary, Ireland on 15th September 1851. Michael’s parents were both deceased by this time. Mary’s parents, Michael…
Michael Condon, Ireland, 1852
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A sense of adventure, having an ex-cowboy living next door, & a headmaster who encouraged us to embrace the whole world, were all factors in me leaving my beautiful small rural village (horticulture, tulip farms, pear orchards) in the north…
Cees Koeman, Netherlands, 1953
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MICHELE INNAIMO (b. 25th July 1911, d. 1st January 1990)
Michele served in the Italian Forces in the Second World War, primarily in Greece and Africa, but when his regiment was asked to embark on a ship bound for Russia, he left the Forces by literally…
Michele Innaimo, Italy, 1951
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Antonius (Toon) Petrus den Exters\’ Migration Story
Antonius was born in The Hague, Holland on 8 June 1915. After completing school at the age of 14, he worked in a shoe factory and thereafter gained a diploma as a swimming instructor, a field…
Antonius den Exter, Netherlands, 1951
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George, son of Charles and Emma Fray, was born 22 June 1855, at the back of 55 Upper Gough Street, Birmingham. He followed family tradition and was an indentured metalworker, working for Britannia Lead in Birmingham. At 24 years of age he married Alice…
George Fray, England, 1882
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Louis Theodore (known as Ludwig) Caspar was born in Schaffhausen Switzerland, the second born child and eldest son of Philipp and Johanna Caspar.
Little is know of the reason why he would chose to immigrate to Australia, as he should have inherited…
Louis Caspar, Switzerland, 1858
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I was born in West Kirby, and brought up in Heswall on the Wirral Peninsular in Cheshire, U.K. I survived the second world war, and afterwards developed a wanderlust to see the world. By 1960 I was married to an ex Japanese prisoner of war, and we had a …
Joan Serjeant, U.K., 1960
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THOMAS HARMSWORTH was born about 1750 in Barkway, Hertfordshire England. He married Alice Mansfield 25th June 1780 in Barkway. Alice, daughter of John Mansfield and Elizabeth Beadle was born on 6th November 1754 in Barkway Hertfordshire.
Thomas…
THOMAS HARMSWORTH, ENGLAND, 1788
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Dudley and Hazel, along with daughters, Karen (9 yrs) and Stephanie (6 yrs) arrived in Sydney on the 18th of November 1982. We arrived from Calcutta, India, on Thai Airways. This was our first ever travel by Air Ð it was exciting, but mostly heart-wrenching,…
Dudley & family Littlewood, India, 1982
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Robert Teasdale was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England on the 22nd November 1914. He qualified as a Marine Engineer, working for shipping companies, including the ‘Prince Line\’ until 1950, and then as an engineer at the Horden…
Robert and Marguerite Teasdale, England, 1955
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Robert Cribb was born in Poole, Dorset on 7 January 1805, son of Independent parents Mary (nee Dirham) and John Galpin Cribb, merchant mariner. When Robert was ten he was shipwrecked with his father and his crew. They were rescued, but all except young…
Robert Cribb, England, 1849
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Gianni De Bortoli was born in Motta di Livenzo a town in the province of Treviso, Veneto in Italy on 25th August 1937. When Gianni was 20 years old he finished an apprenticeship as a model maker and gained skills in joinery and carpentry. Times in Italy…
Gianni De Bortoli, Italy, 1959
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My mum, Coral Lobow and two brothers were already settled in Australia. My eldest brother Gregory and his family sponsored us on the then ‘Family Reunion Scheme’, and so Asraf, Pamela, Tanya and Imran Karolia arrived in Sydney on 19 …
Pamela Karolia, India, 1987
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Eliza Morrison, was born in 1833 in Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland. She was the daughter of Ellen Jane Todd and William Morrison, a shoemaker. She had two sisters and three brothers. She arrived in Australia on 21 February 1855 and lived in Victoria…
Eliza Morrison, Ireland, 1855
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Born the son of Thomas O\’Gorman & Johanna Fitzpatrick, farmers in County Limerick. The O\’Gormans were rural Munster Irish & lived a typical western Irish country life in a stone cabin on a small allotment. They survived…
Edmund O’Gorman, Ireland, 1863
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Born in Salford, Lancashire the son of John & Hannah Johnson, he grew up in Salford\’s unwholesome world of squalid slums & industrial pollution where half of the children died before the age of five & many poor starved in an…
Edward Johnson, England, 1830
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Herbert was the tenth child of George and Sarah (nee White) Humphires and was born on 20/3/1866, Bath England. There were 13 children in total, 7 daughters and 6 sons, of these 2 girls and 2 boys died in infancy. Herbert was the third surviving son. His…
Herbert Humphries, England, 1886
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Austria in 1954 was still suffering from the war years. Young people saw little prospect of a bright future & immigration to a prosperous country looked attractive. Single, although engaged to an Austrian girl, I decided to give it a go. I attended…
Alois Zeitlhofer, Austria, 1954
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[Reason for leaving homeland]
Edward returning from 6 years serving with Indian Army in 2nd.World war found post -war conditions in Britain so frustrating he looked to emigrate. Opportunely a relative from Australia came to visit and personally…
Edward Beadon Colthurst, U.K., l952
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Joseph LACEY was born on 26th. October 1797in Somerset and became a carpenter. On January 19th. 1819, he married Mary MATCHAM in the parish of Henstridge, Somerset by banns. Henstridge is 5km. north east of Milborne Port on the Dorset boundary Joseph…
Joseph Lacey, England, 1830
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In 1959, my 31 year old brother, Mervyn, who was married to Pamela, had four children under ten years of age and lived in the downstairs flat of a large house, with only two bedrooms. He had recently completed his training as an architect and felt that…
Mervyn Willoughby-Thomas, England, 1959
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Mary Josephine Hourigan – an immigrant who arrived in Australia on 3 November 1854
Mary Josephine Hourigan was born in London in 1845 and emigrated to Australia in 1854. She was the daughter of Irish parents – John Hourigan and his wife,…
Mary Josephine Hourigan, Ireland, 3 -11-1854
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Karl was the eighth child of Roman and Bertha, the family lived a hard life and the decision was made to emigrate to Australia to seek a better life. The family left Switzerland in 1925 via Le Touge, France by boat before arriving in Brisbane from where…
Carl (Karl) Baumgartner, Switzerland, 1925
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