ASSISTED MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA

• After Second World War, Australia took advantage of the instability and insecurity in Europe to encourage refugees and displaced persons to migrate to Australia. The Australian government looked at its crowded neighbours, felt vulnerable, and decided it had to "populate or perish". The government believed it could combine immigration with full employment. It funded a program that included assisted passages and special hostel accommodation for sponsored migrants.
  
• This large-scale planned immigration program was designed to increase the population by 70 to 150 thousands a year, with two thirds being assisted migrants. Most migrants in this period were British, Italian, Greek, Polish, Yugoslav, Dutch and German.
  
• In the quarter of a century since the end of war (1945-70), a million people migrated from Britain for a new life in Australia. I was one of them. Most people went as assisted migrants, paying only ten pounds for the journey. The British migrants under this assisted passage scheme were later nicknamed "ten pound poms".
  

New Australia arriving at port Fremantle, Western Australia

• 3 days after leaving port Southampton in south England, the ship entered the Straits of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean Sea was traversed in 4 days and the vessel entered the Suez Canal at Port Said.
  
• On leaving the canal at Port Suez, we set course for the 1,300 miles run across the Red Sea to Aden. On reaching port Aden in Arabia (now Yemen) we anchored and passengers could go ashore by motor-launch. The fare was 2 shillings and 4 pence return.
  
• Leaving Aden on the 2,100 miles run to Colombo the ship entered the harbour in the beautiful tropical island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Once again the motor launches took people to shore. The return fare being 3 shillings. The currency of Ceylon was the rupee, worth 1 shilling and sixpence. The launches landed visitors at the Passenger Jetty, adjoining the Colombo Fort shopping centre.
  
• The city proper was a vast area of fine buildings and some not so fine side by side. The best way to get about was by rickshaw or by taxi.
  
• Ceylon is noted for its carved elephants in ivory, ebony or rosewood and these may be had at prices from few shillings upwards. Higher prices must be paid for the world-famous Kandy silver-work, many fine examples of which were to be seen in the shops.

• The only land to be seen in the week's voyage from Ceylon to Western Australia was the coral islands known as the Cocos or Keeling Islands, acquired by Australia in early 50's, where an important air base was being built by the Australian Commonwealth Government.
  
  
• We landed in Fremantle on 21 August 1955. Fremantle is the port of Perth, the stately capital of Western Australia. The view from King's Park, overlooking the city is fantastic.
  
  
• Leaving Fremantle, we entered the Southern Ocean (the home of the Albatross). And after crossing the Great Australian Bight, the ship entered Port Philip Bay in Melbourne, 1,650 miles from Fremantle. The date was 26 August 1955.
  
  
• After an overnight stay in Melbourne the New Australia passed through Bass Straight and thus into Pacific Ocean, reaching Sydney after a further two days, where I disembarked on 28 August 1955.

Franek Rymaszewski looking at a camel
on a street at Port Aden - 1955

Franek Rymaszewski in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)- 1955

Another photo in Colombo street- 1955

• I arrived in Sydney from London with only ten pounds in my pocket, traveling aboard an immigration ship converted from wartime troops-carrying ship and renamed  "New Australia". Then I moved to the place of my employment in Port Kembla near Wollongong. It was late August 1955. I was a single man aged 31.
  

• At that time all immigrants arriving in Australia were called "New Australians". Initially it was expected that the immigrants would be assimilated, but years later the so called "multiculturalism" emerged.

1956 : Three single "New Australians". Franek Rymaszewski on the left (a Pole), Mike (a Yugoslav) and Valdis Smidlers (a Latvian). We are in Austinmer somewhere near the ocean, going to Headlands Hotel for a cold Fosters beer.

From 1955 to 1959, I was employed by the Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of BHP Ltd in Port Kembla, New South Wales, as a Design Draftsman in their Steelworks Engineering Department.

I lived nearby in the staff hostel "Karingal" in Cringila, near Wollongong.

In 1956, Television (Black & White) was introduced to Australia, mostly in hotel lounges.

Also in 1956, I flew to Melbourne and saw Olympics.

And returned by first run of Melbourne to Sydney daylight express train.

I visited Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme during construction where 60,000 new migrants from 30 countries were employed.

The population of Australia was only 9 million people.

I visited Sydney Royal Easter Show in Randwick in 1955

1955 : Four single, newly arrived "New Australians" bush-walking in the Blue Mountains.  A Pole on the left (myself), a German in the centre (we met him in the mountains walking alone) and an Italian on the right (sun rays on his eyes), a colleague from work (Aldo Tafelli). A Latvian (Valdis Smidlers), another friend from work, took the photo ( he is on the photo above ^).

Franek Rymaszewski inside his room in "Karingal" Hostel in Cringila, nr Wollongong

"Karingal" Hostel in Cringila, nr Wollongong, Steelworks staff hostel. Franek Rymaszewski on the square lawn surrounded with hostel rooms on three sides. There were separate common areas with showers and toilets.

Franek Rymaszewski in Cooma, the Headquarters of the Snowy Mountains Authority at a "milestone" signpost to various places. Note the Hotel Kosciusko. Our tour bus is behind the tree.

Visit to Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme. Myself in front of Jindabyne Hotel owned by Les A.Hore. The hotel is now at the bottom of the artificial Lake Jindabyne created for the Hydroelectric Scheme

Franek Rymaszewski (first on left) on temporary suspension bridge in Snowy Mountains construction area wearing safety gear.

Thanks to government policies regarding immigration and employment those were "boom" years in Australia. I saved enough money to pay for a round the globe trip to England where I studied again full time at my expense, and spent a year in Canada.

So in June 1959, I went back to London aboard a Dutch ship "Willem Ruys" via New Zealand and Panama canal.

On 25th of June 1959 we anchored at Pitcairn island where descendants of the mutineers from the vessel "Bounty" live. The islanders came in their boats and came on board

Pitcairn Island. It appeared like a lonely rock sticking out of the Ocean but it takes living shape when we came closer.

Pitcairn Island as seen from ss. Willem Ruys - 25.6.1959

Three long canoes from Pitcairn Island are coming to our boat.

The islanders arrived in three big canoes and boarded our boat, with postmaster among them and sellers of hand made souvenirs like seashell neclaces, etc.

Stamps bought in 1959 from the Pitcairn Island Postmaster himself who boarded our ship from his canoe.

He was barefooted, like all the islanders.

Franek Rymaszewski enjoying a drink on a balcony of a Bermuda restaurant

Franek Rymaszewski at the Bermuda bay near that restaurant

After visiting Bermuda island we sailed for New York where I went to UN building, Radio City and the tallest, at that time, Empire State building.

Franek Rymaszewski on top of Empire State building

Photo taken from top of Rockefeller Centre Building looking towards the towering Empire State Building. Rockefeller Centre contained the NBC TV and Radio Studios - date 1959.

 

Then we took a tour through the United Nations Building. The area is independent from the United States, just like the Vatican is independent from Italy.

I also visited Times Square, 42nd Street and a fashionable 5th Avenue. I had a beer at some narrow bar where on the "shelf" behind the counter about 6 standing in a row guys played jazz non stop.

Stamps bought in the United Nations Building (UN territory) and sent care of my brother's address where I was going

NAPLES, ITALY

Lena with Lucian and Celina in Naples, Italy, en route to Australia - September 1966.
Two and a half months old Julian was safely kept on board air-conditioned ship "Iberia".   

ADEN
British Colony on Arabian Peninsula

ADEN. Hotel Marina and shops

AMONG ARABS IN HOT ADEN in 1966
(CLICK)

We disembarked in Sydney on 10 October 1966, but we went through Customs and Immigration in port Fremantle, Perth, Western Australia on 3 October 1966.

At that time in Sydney the building of Opera House was nearing completion (see picture >>>).

s.s. Iberia in Sydney Harbour

Photo of Opera House still under construction,
taken from Iberia on 10 October 1966

British currency

Also in 1966 Australia changed its currency from pounds, shillings and pennies to the decimal system of dollars and cents.

The rate of exchange was 2 dollars for 1 pound.

In 1966 the notes were: One dollar (picture >), Two dollars (picture >), and Five dollars.

And the coins were: 20 cents, 10 cents, 5 cents, 2 cents and 1 cent.

Later 50 cents silver round coin was introduced.

Lena was born on Christmas Day, 25 December 1938 in Aberdeen, Scotland. She arrived in Sydney from London, England together with me and our three children on the ship "Iberia". We entered port Fremantle, Perth, Western Australia on 3 October 1966 and disembarked in Sydney a week later.

Lena (Eleanor Duthie) was born to a single mother. She was adopted at the age of 9 months by elderly, childless couple Mr and Mrs D.A. Smith of Arbroath, Scotland, re-named and brought up as Dorothy Smith.

At the age of 16, Dorothy discovered papers showing that her parents were not her real parents and that she was adopted. Brokenhearted she left home. She joined the Army Nursing Corps and was being trained as a nurse, but later resigned and went to work.

She met me in London. We were both alone, hardly had any family and were lonely. When I completed my studies, we went to Canada where we got married.

Lena proved to be good wife and mother. Twenty five years later, in 1987, when our children grew up in Australia, Lena decided to go back to Europe to search for her biological mother. She visited and searched her native Scotland. Her adopted parents were now deceased. Eventually she found out that her real mother, alas, has in the meantime also died. However Lena traced some relatives. She then obtained employment in London and became known as Lena Daniels. Lena returned to Australia in 2004.

Eleanor (Lena) Duthie - 1963

 
Lucian was born on 25 September 1963 in London, England

 

 

7 September 1966

PHOTO: 2 years 11 months old Lucian just boarded a train in Waterloo station in London which will take him to port Southampton. From there he will sail for a month on a boat "Iberia" for Australia.

Lucian arrived in Australia at the age of 3 years exactly.

Celina was born on 11 February 1965 in London, England

7 September 1966

PHOTO: 1 year 6 months old Celina just boarded a train in Waterloo station in London which will take her to port Southampton. From there, she will sail for a month on a boat "Iberia" for Australia.

Celina arrived in Australia at the age of 1 year and 7 months.

Julian was born on 12 May 1966 in London, England

 

7 September 1966

PHOTO: Two and a half months old Julian had his sleep disturbed and is yawning. He was just carried to the train in Waterloo station in London which will take him to port Southampton. From there, he will sail for a month on a boat "Iberia" for Australia.

Julian arrived in Australia at the age of 3 and a half months.

In Australia I was employed by the Commonwealth of Australia Department of Works and we lived in a bushland setting in the grounds of the Commonwealth Experimental Building Station in North Ryde, Sydney, next to CSIRO and Chanel 10 TV station.

We lived in a house prefabricated from steel framework with fibre board on inside and metal sheeting on outside, designed for quick assembly in wartime or natural disasters areas.

Christmas 1967 - a year after arrival in Australia.
Our nuclear family, all alone in Australia, with no relatives of any kind.

Lucian 4 years
Celina 2.5 years
Julian 1.5 years
Lena   29 years

The picture below shows how Lucian, Celina and Julian looked like at the moment of history, when the first man in Apollo 11 landed on the moon on 20 July 1969. In Sydney the date was 21 July 1969 (Eastern Standard Time).

Lucian is 5 years 10 months old.
Celina is 4 years 5 ½ months old.
Julian is 3 years 2 ½ months old.

From August 1972 to March 1973 Lucian, Celina and Julian went with their mother on the round the world sea voyage to London via New Zealand and Panama Canal. Returning around South Africa because the Suez canal was then blockaded by Egypt.

They visited uncle Edward and grandmother Aleksandra in London, and while in London attended a private college "Silverdale" .

Friday, 9 May 1975. The children accompanying me during my Master of Engineering Science graduation at the University of New South Wales.

Ages of children:
Lucek : 11 ½ yrs, Celinka : 10 yrs, Julek : 9 yrs

1975 - Lena and myself celebrating at the Music Hall Theatre Restaurant in Neutral Bay, Sydney, where the play "The Sins of Society" was performed.

In 1975, after cyclone "Tracy", Lucian and Julian, and later Celina, flew alone from Sydney, unaccompanied to visit me in cyclone devastated Darwin in Northern Territory, where I was working as an engineer on the reconstruction of town. (Darwin after the cyclone >)

11 year old Lucian and 9 year old Julian in Darwin.
Waiting for ferry for a trip to Mandorah island.

With her broken arm in plaster, 10 year old Celina was very brave to travel to Darwin alone to meet me. Photo after her return home, with Lucian and myself.

In 1976, Lucian, Celina and Julian went with Lena, their mother on the Sitmar Cruise of South Pacific islands on TSS Fairstar while I was working in Darwin.

In 1977 our family moved to the capital Canberra where I was transfered on promotion.

I was now working in the Overseas Works Branch of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Construction engaged on design and construction of Australian embassies overseas.

 

Photo of our house in Canberra :
no.11, Street Place, Watson (dated - winter 1979)

Celinka, only 5 years 7½ months old, is presented at the School Debutantes Ball, Sydney, 30th September 1970.

8 year old Celinka at the reception after the First Communion in North Ryde, Sydney - November 1973.

Celinka, a member of the Polish folk dancing group in Canberra, in one of many Polish regional costumes.

Celinka wearing another Polish folk costume, in front of our house in Watson, a suburb of Canberra - winter 1978.

Celina, Julian and mother in Solidarity tee-shirts, supporting Solidarity movement in Poland, 1980 - 1981.

Celinka, a member of the Polish folk dancing group in Canberra, wearing costume from Kraków (Cracow) regarded as Polish national costume.

Celina also went with her Braddon College students, as a part of French language and culture curriculum, on an "excursion" by sea voyage to Noumea, New Caledonia, an island in French Polynesia on Pacific Ocean.

5 years old Julek ("I am a little gentleman"), goes to his first school ball and presentation in Sydney, on 19th August 1971.

Julian (front row, second from the left, kneeling) at the Polish Scouts Camp near Adelaide, South Australia - summer, December 1980.

Polish Scouting Cross

Julek, a member of the Polish folk dancing group in Canberra, in the Polish national costume from Kraków (Cracow) - 1979.

Julian (Julek), a member of the Polish Scouts in Canberra - 1980.
(Awarded Scouting Cross - see above)

Julian (Julek), first on the left, in the "krakowiak" costume (costume from Kraków or Cracow), with the Polish folk dancing group in Canberra - May 1979.

Julian (Julek), a pupil of the Polish Saturday School in Canberra, in the role of a Polish nobleman (szlachcic) in the presentation of a play commemorating the anniversary of the May 3, 1791 Polish Constitution, the most democratic in Europe. May 1980.

Julian (Julek), third on the left, performing during PolArt Festival in Adelaide , December 1980.

Julek (under letter "N", top right), with the Polish Scouts in Canberra, on stage at the commemoration of the Katyn massacre anniversary - December 1980

The true stories of hardships and survival of some other arrivals of the "Gen. Langfitt Group" were recounted years later in a book "The General Langfitt Story" by Maryon Allbrook and Helen Cattalini, published by AGPS (1995), ISBN 0 644 35781 9.

Full text of the book can be found and printed free from the Australian Department of Immigration Website:

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/refugee/langfitt/index.htm