A Tale of Two Migrants (Part 1)
A while back my wife and I joined a bus tour to Jindabyne and one evening during dinner I overheard a conversation where one of our fellow travellers was relating to some others of her time as a child emigrating to Australia back in the 1950s. My ears pricked up when I heard her mention of the name of the ship and when she arrived in Australia.
Later I spoke to her and we discovered that we had similar experiences and had also travelled on the same ship, at the same age and in the same but on different voyages. We have since became friends
This is part 1 of Hilary’s story in her own words;-
ODYSSEY OF AN 11 YEAR OLD FROM ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA 1958
It was sometime in 1957 that my father told me we were emigrating to Sydney, Australia, sheep and kangaroos immediately came to my 11 year old mind!!. It had been my dream to be a ballerina, attending dance classes 5 days a week, so I was not happy about this move, my parents said that it was to give me a “better life”.
It was only 12 years since the war ended and times were still tough in England, I can remember going with mum to the grocers with the ration book. My father was an ex-Grenadier Guard having served in Italy and North Africa during the war.
With my mother, they managed a shop in Marton, Blackpool in Lancashire. This was considered a “good” job at the time as a house came with the job. An Aunt told me I was a lucky girl to be going to Australia and to remember everything about the journey.
We were interviewed by Australia House and I clearly remember seeing posters saying “Australia Needs You”. Once we were approved, we had to wait to be given a sailing date. The first date came in late 1957 so my parents resigned their jobs, farewell parties and gifts were given and packed into large trunks including a brand new bike and two beautiful ballerina dolls given to me by my dance teacher. I remember seeing them briefly get placed into one of the trunks. The luggage was then dispatched to The British Road Services ready to go on the road to Southampton.
However our sailing date got cancelled, quite a common occurrence at this time, after all my parents were 10 pound POMS , not paying passengers and children under 12 went for nothing!!!.
So with no job or house we went to live with relatives in Manchester and I started back at school to sit my final exams. British Road Services were informed and our luggage was put into their storage.
Finally on 4th February 1958, we arrived at Southampton ready for the 6 week journey to Australia, with just 2 suitcases. These had served us well during the wait for a sailing date. We were sitting on the deck of the “Fairsea” one of many belonging to the “Sitmar line” and the first non-British ship employed to carry assisted immigrants from Britain to Australia, when we heard my father’s name on the loudspeaker requesting him to go to the Pursers office.
When he came back he told us our luggage was not on board. When we went to live with our relatives my father read there had been a big fire in the warehouse of The British Road Services, my father assured us our luggage would have left by then, headed for Southampton, however it now looked as though that was not the case.
We were given the option to leave the ship or set sail. My mother made the big decision to sail . I can remember my parents being very brave they probably shed tears away from me, as for myself I was worried about my bike, ballet costumes and presents!!.
Our cabin on D deck, had a port hole , the water came up half way. There were 8 bunks to a cabin, tiny wardrobes (didn’t bother us as we didn’t have much ) I was an only child, so my mother and I waited for the other 6 women to arrive.
My father was down the passage way in a cabin similar to ours and he waited for the 7 men, who would be related to the 6 women in my cabin. The bathrooms were shared and I was fascinated by the showers never having seen anything but a bath before!!.
(TO BE CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE)
Past issue Memories With Ivor Jones & Friends: An Interesting Case
