Johannes Albertus (John) Sanders
| Town/City | Lakes Entrance Vic. 3909 |
|---|---|
| First name | Johannes Albertus (John) |
| Last name | Sanders |
| Country of Origin | Holland (Netherlands) |
| Date of Birth | 22.10.1907 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1952 |
| Submitted by | Louise Anketell |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – To provide better working opportunities for the family, even though John had been a very successful business man in Holland.
About the Journey – We were self-funded, and travelled to Australia on the P&O liner, the “Strathnaver”. This passage was a luxurious/exciting adventure for the children, but daunting for our parents. Our mother was the youngest of 11 children so saying good-bye to her family must have been overwhelming. Our mother was sea-sick most of the journey. We came via the Suez-Canal, stopped in Colombo and various ports, experiencing different cultures and being exposed to some of the poverty. Our father was very visionary, ahead of his time. He was unable to bring his money into Australia, so he invested his wealth in joinery/cabinet making machinery and a completely pre-fabricated home, complete with furnishing and all fittings. These goods were transported by sea in containers and eventually delivered to Bairnsdale Vic. where we resided for many years, and dad set up a business. A number of employees for this business were recruited from the migrant camp, ‘Bonegilla.’ Our family consisted of mum and dad, three boys and three girls, ranging in age from 4-17 yrs.
My memory of arriving in Australia was the first glance of Perth in the early hours of the morning, June 8th 1952. A magnificent sight, a land of “fairy” lights, the delicious fresh milk from a cafe at the Fremantle Port, (our first taste of fresh milk in nearly 4 weeks), and the long long journey from Melbourne to Bairnsdale, by train.