Paranja Czochara

Story

I was born Paranja Solar at Muzyliw in Ukraine, the eldest of 6 children. We owned farm-land strips away from the village growing flax, wheat, rye, oats, barley and corn. We had fruit trees, grew our own vegetables and had some animals.

With the German occupation in 1942, my life changed. In August, Michael, the eldest son was needed in Germany to help with the harvest. As Michael was our mainstay working on the farm at home, I volunteered to take his place at age 17. I thought this would be quite an adventure, ‘helping with the harvest’ and would be home for Christmas. What a disappointment awaited the forced labourers. We were there for the duration of the war and I have not seen my family since. I worked on a German Baron’s farm with 20 Ukranian boys, 45 Russian boys, 5 Russian girls, 20 French Prisoners of War and 5 Polish Prisoners of War, of whom one was to become my husband: Stanislaw Czochara. Stanislaw was born on 13/11/1913 at Wilcza Wola near Rzeszow in Poland.

Liberation came on April 4th 1945 by American soldiers. We became ‘Displaced Persons’ for 5 years. Stan and I decided not to return to our homes as they were then under Russian rule. We stayed at various concentration camps, now empty of prisoners, ending up in the American zone. On 25/04/1946 our son Wladyslaw was born at Altenmark and on 29/08/1948 our daughter Danuta Mary was born at Ingolstadt.

By 1949, immigration was open and accessible. Single people had priority, then childless couples and the married couples with children over 1 year old. Australia was accepting all. We considered Australia with apprehension and uncertainty. We heard wild roumers of snakes and spiders, cooking in the open and wife stealing. We also heard that men would be assigned work in remote places and only be able to visit their families at Christmas. An elderly Polish Professor from Warsaw conducted English classes which I attended for 3 months, giving me sufficient reading and vocabulary to cope with most situations.

After health checks, injections and induced measles for the children, we were shifted through various camps to Bremem from where we finally departed in a converted American Cargo plane. Rome was our first stop, then Cairo, Ceylon for 3 days. Singapore was next, then Darwin where we were surprised to see white people. 4 hours later we left for Sydney. We left in the dark but by daylight we could see desert below us. Miles and miles of desolate country. Slowly, civilization emerged and we were grateful to see houses and animals. As we approached Sydney, all our apprehension disappeared. We realized then that the propaganda was untrue. After 3 days we boarded a train for Bonegilla Migration Camp.

Stan started as a Railway worker in Melbourne and we shifted to Mildura to a former Air Force camp where I was able to work grape-picking and flower picking in NSW. We spent 8 months in Mildura with Stan visiting about once a month, saving as much as we could. After Stan was posted to Maryborough (Victoria), he lived in a shared goods van with an Italian, Yugoslavian and a Latvian. They were willing workers and plenty of overtime was available with the wheat harvest. In 1951, he found rental accommodation so the whole family could live together. We later bought a house in Goldsmith Street.

We were Naturalized as Australians on 21/07/1958. We felt at this stage of our lives that we were part of this country and intended to stay here. Now we felt we were true Aussies and were grateful that we chose Australia as the spot to put down our roots. It gives me pleasure to see my two children educated and happily married and useful citizens: ‘Wladyslaw’, now known as Wally, married Kay Lesley Whitmore and ‘Danuta Mary’ now known as Mary, married Andrew Edwin Kaye. I am grateful that I have two grown grandchildren, Lisa Maree and Paul Andrew Kaye.

After Stan retired, we went for 3 months to visit Stan’s family in Poland and since his death, I have made 2 more trips to Poland but I have not visited the Ukraine as I felt apprehensive about the new regime.

For all the years of my life, the highs and lows, I am grateful to God for His protection and for guiding us to this beautiful Australia.

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