Leslie Wrigley
| First name | Leslie |
|---|---|
| Last name | Wrigley |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 23/04/19 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1927 |
| Submitted by | Christine Hagan |
Story
The Wrigley family migrated to Australia in 1927. Les and his twin sister Jess were 8 years old and their brother Tom was 16. It was a time of huge industrial unrest and with severely reduced working hours, their parents Elsie and Jimmy found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet on Jimmy’s foundry wage. A good friend (Norman Mellor) had migrated to South Australia before them, and he agreed to sponsor them as migrants to Adelaide. As sponsor, he guaranteed work and accommodation for the family.
Les was only a child when he arrived in Australia, but one early event left a lasting memory. Shortly after starting school in this new and strange country, he was pecked on the head by a magpie while walking to school.
During the depression, his father Jimmy, worked on the Mitcham Council tar cart, often in extreme heat. It was not uncommon in those days for him to hear people say “Bloody Poms, coming out here and taking our jobs”
Les left school at 14 without finishing his education. Nevertheless he had a successful career as State Manager of a Menswear Store and enjoyed an active social and sporting life. He served Australia in 3 theatres of war in World War Two: the Middle East, Java and New Guinea He married Mavis after the war and they had two children, Christine and Trevor. Les loved the Australian bush and he and Mavis travelled extensively throughout the country.