Your Story Destination DownUnder Swallows Nest. Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine.

Contents Forward Forward 1 This is the second volume of Your It is often said that you never Thank you to each of them and Post-War Immigration 2 Story which publishes the stories really know anybody until you their families for sharing their Rudolf Illko 4 of those who have come to live know their story and come to stories. at Kalyna Care. Each and every an understanding of what they Wira Fedewytsch 6 Mark Sheldon-Stemm person has a story to tell about his have been through to shape the General Manager Displaced Persons 9 or her life; where they come from, person into who they are today. Vanda Jovanovic 12 what they have left behind and To know and to understand Johann Maszczak 13 the journey they have travelled. builds an empathy that enables Residents at Kalyna Care arrive us to provide the care and All at Sea 18 here during their later life and companionship that all of us need. Olga Kosylo 22 their journey has most often been In this year’s book, we have Gesualda Mazzarino 26 a long and interesting one. looked at the way people Luba Saciuk 27 This book and its predecessor arrived in as migrants Destination DownUnder 28 give us a glimpse to what has been and focused on their journey Shadows in the Fog 32 significant in the life journeys before and after their arrival as of our residents. Like looking indicated by the book’s sub-title Veronika Geryk 25 through a window, we can see “Destination Down Under”. Walter Lychody 36 those events they choose to share Please enjoy looking through the Maria Sokolowskyj 38 with us, rather than life in its small window that each of them Anna Wychowanko 40 entirety; something that would be has given us, learn to understand Moira Smith 42 impossible for us to do within the who they are and appreciate the scope of this publication. Serhij Kolyniuk 43 long journey they have been on. Acknowledgements/About the Editor 44

Backnang, Germany. Destination DownUnder 1 ‘Populate or Perish’

Australian Post-War Immigration ‘Populate or perish’1 was the post-war war cry, if you like, that spurred Australians to accept the proposed influx of thousands of European Background: Orcades 1948. refugees in the period from 1949 to 1954. Colour image: Achille Lauro.

Not since the Gold Rushes a real scare over her defences Furthermore, Australia was still Italy and Germany. And they of the 1850’s and 1890’s had when the Japanese invaded very much a developing country. were all faced with the dilemma Australia seen such an influx Port Moresby in 1942 and then Her population in 1949 was well of literally being homeless. of migrants as occurred after engaged the allied naval and air under 8 million (probably about Fortunately, countries such as WWII. From 1947 to the mid- forces of the United States and 7,739,358 persons), not enough Canada, England, the USA and 1950’s Australia brought in Australia in the Battle of the to encourage growth beyond Australia offered them a solution. thousands upon thousands of Coral Sea. Had Australia not her major cities. Broad national Some of the stories here tell of refugees from war-torn Europe had allied support available at development was needed with a how some of our residents took to populate our country. In a that crucial point in time, the population distribution more up this solution and made for Statement to the House of Representatives possibility of enemy invasion evenly spread throughout the themselves and their families a The Hon. Arthur A. Calwell, would have been very real. country. Immigration would not new life DownUnder. Minister for Immigration in The consequences of WWII, in only populate regional areas but 1949, comments that ‘this conjunction with the low birth also create significant economic and it transformed the face of Many of our residents here will indeed be a tremendous rate during the Great Depression, and social growth. Infrastructure Australian society and urged an at K