Hostel life........NOT like home! We were NOT grateful to be THERE!

[Ozcloggie]

Anneke and I both arrived as children, taken to Bonegilla "migrant reception centre".
(Back on my soap-box:) Photos and descriptions of post-war immigrants "grateful" to be accommodated in the ex-army facilities, always irritate me - O.K. - only a little!
My parents, naively did the "Inpakken en wegwezen" (Pack up and Go) with only the sister-in-law and her family, of friend, Gerard van Hoorn, as connections, in Applecross, near Perth, to go to.
Only when the migrant ship docked, in Fremantle, my parents and Gerard and Gerda van Hoorn heard from this distant relative's husband, (on the dock, down below) that there was no work, there.
Travelling on to Bonegilla Migrant Hostel, on the border of Victoria and N.S.W., was then the only alternative offered.
After the shock of Bonegilla, Scheyville, near Windsor, near Sydney, was less of a shock.
Come and have a look, on May 15.
A lovely park now.
I was there too briefly, as a boy of 12, to remember it well and, at the time did not explore it much.
The next hostel, Villawood, was the place where I had friends, who were also in 6th grade, with whom I explored the hostel grounds and shared attending school.
Come get an impression of hostel life, May 15, in Scheyville!!
Memorabilia isbeing shown and collected on that day!!!

[Nell Jones]

Joop

I have to agree that the whole thing about 'migrants being grateful' is so over done in those days. Most of the migrants came from fairly steady backgrounds! I know Anneke was shocked about the conditons and so was I when I visited Bonegilla recently. Aargh! I would not have liked it at all!!