My parents migrated in the 1950s and every migrant at that time - TopicsExpress



          

My parents migrated in the 1950s and every migrant at that time was expected to adapt to their new homeland without any benefits or new citizen privileges. My father arrived in 1954 at 15 years of age with his older brother of 17 years. No mother or father was by their side; just a suitcase and a couple of bob in their pockets. My mother arrived in 1957 with her own mother and three siblings following several years separation from her father who had travelled to Australia ahead in an effort to work and save enough money to pay for their ship passages and to ensure they had a home of their own. And within a short period of time my grandfather had achieved all that he had planned and set out to achieve; his entire family was able to safely travel to be with him and he was able to welcome them with a home of their own. My father worked several jobs as a teenager in Australia (there was no dole) from fruit shop sales to tailor. By the early 60s he married my mother, purchased a house (there werent any first home buyers grants) and started his family (there werent any new birth or dependants benefits). My father achieved all this by his early 20s and as a young man who had not attended high school or university. By the 1970s he not only owned his own home, he also had additional property and a taxi licence. And during that period and thereafter, my father never ask for any handouts. Back then there werent any special dispensations for new Australians and migrants like subsidies or grants to attend courses to learn the English language. My father taught himself to speak, read and write English. Australia helped make my father a literate and well read man who would routinely drive to the local milk bar every single morning to buy his read for the day (the Australian Herald Sun and the Age). My father and his fellow immigrants to Australia never placed any conditions or expectations on their new country and its government. They were all happy and content to be safe and sound in a country they all believed would ultimately give their children and families a future which was not possible in their country of origin. My parents visited Italy several times after their migration to Australia and on each return they always declared Australia as their home and a gratefulness for their Australian life. God bless Australia.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:09:47 +0000

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