I used my naturalization papers which had my name, D.O.B., & born in Germany. I backtracked with the Australia Archives and immigration. I learned where I was born; what camps; names of grandparents; where in Poland my parents came. We stayed at these camps over a 10 year period after the hardships both my parents went through in Germany, mum was a forced labourer on a German farm, and my father was an inmate of concentration camps: Majdanek in Poland, Mauthausen in Germany/ Austria and Natsweiller in France.

After the war, we spent 5 years in various DP camps in Germany before we migrated to Australia. I was born in DP camp Hohenfels, Bad Reichenhall. If you think they a useful, you could use them on the Australia page of your site.

I'm forwarding you the Archives in Canberra as well as the Polish page. Congratulations on your site. It is fantastic. You have done so much wonderful stuff and gone to so much trouble. You are an inspiration and a tremendous help to other people doing research into their background, people like me who knew nothing about their parents past lives. I feel to have a future, you must know your past. Thank you for your contribution. It is much appreciated.

Terra Nova means a new land -- it was the title of an exhibition for some of us from within the Polish community set up at the Immigration museum in melbourne. It then toured Australia and visited Poland. It commemorated 50 years of post war migration by Poles to Australia.

Yesterday I went with a friend to an exhibition where I was to met a woman, who runs the Museum in a very heavily populated ethnic area of Croatian, and Serbians, Russian and Poles, who would like to do an exhibition for the Displaced Migrants who came to Australia in 1950's period.

Could you please provide me with all the websites address details.

This exhibit would allow the youngsters, some 3000 whose parents and grandparents fall into this group, to understand their family history which for many has never been discussed or told like in my case over a 45 year period.

With such little information do I have a chance of perhaps finding the daughter. What do you think? Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

I am already sending your web-address to those old friends I mentioned yesterday. Good for some more recorded reminiscences.

We do applaud this project!

Olga - I am "addicted" to your site now, deriving more from it every time open it. You might like to add another book to your lists (general and Polish):

Sonya's mob: the life and times of a Polish-Australian family. Lois and George Carrington. Canberra: Tara, 1996.

Sonya was George's mother - the book centres on her story, including her fortunes in post-war Europe, the difficult early days in Australia, and her rising career as a noted weaver. It is plentifully illustrated by photographs, many in colour, of Sonya's work, the family, etc. We have originals ofthe photographs relevant to the European-camps period of Sonya and George's lives.

We still reckon this is the best site seen for donkeys' ages! Lois Carrington

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I don't know what has happened locally in Western Australia with Tom's work but, internationally, it is being pursued by the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild. Lately I have been corresponding with Richard Botteron of the ISTG about
updating their pages which refer to Tom's work.

The idea is to let users know that many of his passenger lists are incomplete, so their co-operation in having them digitized by the
National Archives of Australia (at AUD 16.50 a list) would be of great assistance.

Western Australia is a whole continent and three hours away from me in Canberra, so tracking him down at a phone account in someone else's name was quite an achievement. I can't do much more from here than issue encouragement through my own Web site.

World War I brought about some 300 prisoners of war into the tranquil village of Berrima, when the disused sandstone gaol was transferred into a German internment camp. While there were many internment camps located throughout Australia at this time, this book looks at one in particular, brought to life with an excellent photographic collection. Prisoners in Arcady is a fascinating read into 4 1/2 years of history into the POW at Berrima.

Afforded few comforts, these resourceful seafarers waited out the war far removed from front line action. While confined nightly in cramped cells, they were free to roam by day, "easy-going military guard permitted every liberty that prisoners-of-war could reasonably expect," They bridge the Wingecarribee River, building along its banks chalets and gardens in the style of their homeland. They supplied fresh produce to a community that learns to accept them, respect them, and even love them with their choir, orchestra and theatre.