Ian Mackay

Story

My father was a motor engineer with Rootes/Chrysler in Coventry and was made redundant in late 1970. We had been thinking of migrating for a couple of years and this forced the issue, largely I think because my parents felt there was little future in England for me at that time

We left Southampton as 10 quid tourists in mid May on the SS Ellinis a Chandris line vessel. I remember my Aunt and Uncle on the dock – it was the only time I cried. The ship missed the tide leaving Southampton and hit a sandbar springing a large bow plate and making the front page of the Daily Express. This wasn’t repaired till Teneriffe and then again in Cape Town ( the Suez was closed ). The weather was pretty ordinary and apparently some of the worst storms the vessel had experienced whilst crossing the Indian Ocean. The ship had to stop and pump out on at least three occasions. Despite this it was lots of fun and little time for home sickness with all the activities on board including a boxing comp my dad organized where I got a thumping. We still have lots of little memorabilia of the trip.

We arrived at Station Pier on a cold Queens Birthday Monday in pouring rain at about 5.30am. Was not what I expected – where were the kangaroos, the sun and the palm trees?? Melbourne just seemed another grotty city and mum and dad and I were a bit nervous.

I remember the bus trip to the Midway Migrant Hostel in Maribyrnong in the rain with Daddy Cool blasting out of the radio. The hostel was warm and clean and dry. The ethnic mix in the camp was extensive though in those days mostly Europeans with lots of Greeks and Turks so it was vibrant in the canteen and the toilets!

There was lots of news items with regards to the Westgate that had collapsed a few months prior and I started school briefly at Maribyrnong High and then Braybrook when we moved to Lawn Crescent for a while. Dad then got transferred to Ford in Geelong and we moved and have lived in the area ever since.

I love this country.

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