Stanislav Kivlins

Story

Reason for leaving homeland – War torn Europe, lived in Riga Latvia, Berlin, Hanover, Diepholz, Bremen, Frankfurt caught Nelly II, an old Italian troup carrier to Australia in 1949 and so we started our journey.

About the Journey – Mum was pregnant with my brother and very sick, very hot crossing the Equator, King Neptune etc. quite enjoyed the trip as I was 7 years old.

Impressions on Arrival – Stopped at Fremantle W.A. headed off to Bonegilla NSW and Corowa Migrant Centres, eventually landed in West Sale Migrant Centre at West Sale. Started primary school there in Grade 3, loved it, Mum was a cleaner at the school, enjoyed living there, took a bus to Sale Theatre to see Cinderalla, fell running to catch the bus, walked on the railway tracks, caught bunnies down rabbit burrows, picked mushies – big orange ones which we cooked and now we have learned that we could have been poisoned as they were big orange toadstool type, and little button mushrooms, picked onion grass and Mum made soup out of it, tasted nice, very healthy, had a good life at Sale – jumping off the roof of an old shearing shed, riding Dad’s bike on the airfield near us, and simply loved school.

Lived at the Migrant Centre for 3 years in huts, 2 rooms, the ablution block was in front of our hut, where we had showers, toilets and did the laundry in a copper which we had to build a fire under it, also roasted potatoes in their jackets in that fire, coals, a good, simple life. Then we moved to Newborough where we eventually bought the house we rented, Dad worked at the SEC as an electrical mechanic supervisor, Mum cleaned at the TAFE college and I went to Moe High School from 1953-1958, did the commercial course, loved all my high school days as well.

Started a big vegetable garden, in the back, had cleared all the front of the house (I was 13 years old), really surprised Dad who worked shiftwork at the SEC at Yallourn, had chooks as well and ducks, helped Dad with an old Canadian crosscut saw and sold firewood, drove to Tanjil South and Walhalla (Dad bought an old Austin tip truck – for the firewood), went fishing to Port Albert, we both loved fishing very much.

I then worked at the SEC at Yallourn from when I was 17 for 4 years as a typist in the Transport Workshops area – loved it, simply loved it, loved school, loved working (am still working at 66 y.o.) and then in 1963 got married to Frank Kokshoorn.

When we arrived in Australia there were 8 million people living here, a good country, lots of space, fresh air, I can understand 6 languages, have trouble speaking some but if other people talk in German or Latvian or Polish have no trouble understanding them, but to converse is very difficult, maybe because I think in English??

I am proud to be an Aussie and always will be.

Sincerely Yours

Mrs Ingrid Kokshoorn (nee Kivlins).

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