alexander macKenzie mackie
| Town/City | springvale |
|---|---|
| First name | alexander macKenzie |
| Last name | mackie |
| Country of Origin | scotland |
| Date of Birth | 19th january 1906 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1926 |
| Submitted by | sandra davidson |
Story
My father left Scotland during the depression hopfully to come to a better life. He travelled 3rd class on the steam ship Benalla. The fare cost $33.00 and he arrived in Melbourne.
My father’s family were always short of money, but there was always food on the table, and they managed to scrape together sufficient money to have a few days away each year. Dad left school at 14 and went to work in a steel mill. He was involved in the boys brigade and acheived many awards.
I do not know a great deal about the trip as my father passed away some years ago. He travelled with a cousin and as they were both young men I can only assume that they would have had a great time.
He loved this country, never wanted to leave; found work, met and married my mother Rachel Pritchard who also came from Scotland. She arrived in 1928 and had gone to South Australia. Later she came to Melbourne where they met and married in 1933.
During the war he kept on trying to enlist, this became a problem as he was working at Melbourne iron and steel and as this was an industry that was essential to the war effort. They kept on pulling him out of the army – I have the documentation.
He only had one trip back to see his place of birth and never really talked out it – he so much preferred the wonderful life he had in Australia.