Hubert Crott

Story

It is autumn in Holland, daylight becomes shorter by the day, leaves are dropping from the trees and I feel sad. It is not the first time that mood, every year in that month of October – the start of the dark months before Christmas – I have that feeling. Born and raised in the tropics with its blue skies and its open spacious houses, I felt myself closed in in a flat three stories up in that season.

In March 1946 I repatriated from the Netherlands Indies after 3 years of Japanese occupation, and served 6 1/2 years in the Dutch Navy and 7 1/2 years in the Postcheque and Giroservice as a clerical clerk Den Haag. West Europe was in the grip of uneasiness for Russian invasion. The majority of the population lived on a strict budget. The Government encouraged people to emigrate so the cost of migration was heavily subsidised. This was the situation in 1960 when I applied for migration to Australia.I as married with one child, Rene, aged 3 years.

On October 1, 1960 we left Holland late afternoon aboard KL847OC, a Lockheed Lodestar plane from the KLM. We were in the plane for thee days and three nights. On the the October we arrived a Kingsford Smith airport in Sydney. It was cold and windy, not the weather we expected from Australia in the spring. We received 60 pounds, a government grant for new arrivals and train tickets for Adelaide. We arrived in Adelaide on the sixth of October in the early morning. The immigration officer told us that our provisional destination was Woodside Hostel, and old army barracks situated in the Adelaide Hills consisting of many structures with bended corrugated iron roofs. They were divided into partitions of different sizes, dependent on size of family.

After I had obtained a job as a storeman at Die Casters Kilkenny, we moved to Finnsburry Hostel Rosewater, the same structure of housing as Woodside. It was a half hour journey on pushbike from Die Caster’s Kilkenny.

Our first impressions of Australia were disappointing.We felt lost and insecure; the accommodation was poor and the food not tasteful. Houses dull of appearance, the windows of department stores lacking in windowdressing. Big fatty chunks of eat at the butchers and at the greengrocers only cabbage, onions, carrots and pumpkins. We felt the lack of proper information about migration manly on job opportunities. After a few years however, with more knowledge of the language we appreciated the weather, outdoor living and the vast open spaces.

We noticed the orderly line-up of people waiting for a bus; the numerous times we heard the word “Sorry” from strangers; even in traffic the politeness of divers. In 1979 we want for a two months holiday to the old country and realised that we did not fit in that society. We were flabbergasted to see a great number of people from different cultures while years back the government encouraged us to emigrate. Back in Australia we realised this is the lucky country.

We always have lived in rented Housing Trust (Commission) houses in South Australia.The last three years in a spacious cottage-style that fulfills all our wishes of living right in the centre of town. In spite of low paid jobs (no trade ticket) I was never without a job and blessed with good health. Rene moved to Queensland and with hard work and perseverance in the housing industry he has his own company and employs six workers.

On the 18th of February 1960 we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary with family rends and club members in he Dutch Club and are grateful for what Australia has offered us.

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