Sponsored by the Michigan Family History Network
Bathurst Migrant Camp
Berrima (see Australia Page 2, link below)
Bonegilla See story are on Australia, page 2
Cabramatta
Chullora Railway and Migrant Camp See story are on Australia, page 2
Cowra
Greta See story are on Australia, page 2
Mildura Holding
camp Australia, page 2
Ohio Australia, page 2
Uranquinty Camp See story are on Australia, page 2
Sale Migrant Camp
Stewart
Villawood
Woodside Camp
National Archives of Australia httnaa.gov.au/
Ask us a question’ page:
httnaa.gov.au/collection/using/askquestion/index.aspx
World War II records email: ww2@naa.gov.au
9/28/2016 Hi Olga,
I am currently researching my Polish in-laws who stayed at various camps in Germany and Poland. When one digs deep enough, it is amazing what you can find. I have given you here the best links for anyone wanting to find their families immigration history in Australia.
Here is the link to search for names re immigration etc.:
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx
Some files you can access for free, some you have to order and others are still not open. A mixed bag.
Immigration Records – Fact Sheet 227: httnaa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs227.aspx
Immigrant Ships - Transcribers Guild -- World War II Refugees to Australia -- http://immigrantships.net/ww2_au.html
The National Library of Australia which is in Canberra and has a very extensive genealogical section, micro fiche’s, with many links to helpful sites. https://www.nla.gov.au/
This one is for Trove our newspaper archives. http://trove.nla.gov.au/
This one below is a great little site I discovered with lots of information on Poland and its history. You can type in almost anything. It’s a bit like an encyclopedia.
httrevolvy.com/main/index.php?s=poland&stype=topics
If you would like any other links or information, please do not hesitate in contacting me. I have been researching for over 28 years and have a very extensive list.
Kind regards, Diane diaura@optusnet.com.au
OzeUkes httozeukes.com/ Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations
Ukrainian organizations in Australia httbrama.com/diaspora/australia.html
Australia accepts displaced persons from Europe - 843 Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians arrive. (1947) htthistorysmiths.com.au/CentFedPlayKit/events/ozall/1947_displaced persons from europe.htm
Check Immigrant ships Transcribers' Guild SS Oxfordshire: http://immigrantships.net/v4/1900v4/oxfordshire19500306_01.html
Hi Olga,
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.
Polonia.og.au and their English version httpolonia.org.au/index.php/starting-page
The Polish Connection on rootsweb http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~atpc/index-atpc.html
Warm regards, Maria Nolan / Australia
The Polish Museum & Archives httpolishmuseumofamerica.org
Australian Dept of Immigration https://www.border.gov.au
Populate or perish http://john.curtin.edu.au/1940s/populate/
12/30/04
Hi Olga
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.
regards, Lucyna Artymiuk Melburne, Australia
Hello Olga
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.
I think it would help as I had told her how I now was learning and wanted to do something using my mother's experience to educate myself further and my children as well. Kind regards Anne-Marie Hofman
Hello Olga.
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.
Yours Carolyn Hennessy
Hello Olga and Stefan:
So pleased that I found your site. Just found the Greta camp information where my husband's family from Poland went to after arriving in Australia. thank you thank you. a wonderful website. enjoyed reading this article. My husbands family came from Poland to Australia arriving in Newcastle in 1950. They sailed on the Goya from Bremenhaven in Germany and were in the Greta Camp. Do you know where I can get more information or photos of the camp or the Goya??? thanks Linda Juda
Thank you for your help. The Australian National Museum has sent me some information on the ship, and I have now got photocopies of the Goya. Many thanks. Linda Juda
Hello, Olga - My book is:
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 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
November 10, 2008 Dear Olga,
You have a wonderful Web site, just as many others have told you already.
I've taken the liberty of linking your site to mine, at httfifthfleet.net.
Mine is about the movement of the DPs to Australia and
their lives here. Like yours, mine is intended to aid reunions, the Fifth Fleet Forums.
Two sad items of news: Lois Carrington died in April this year; Tom Stiglmayer
now is prevented by blindness from his undertaking his very worthwhile passenger list transcriptions and other researches for DP families
in Australia.
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.
Fascinating artwork too, Olga.
Wishing you all the best,
Ann Tündern-Smith, tundern@yahoo.com.au
Here is another book which covered postwar migration to Western Australia 1945-1964 called "Milk and Honey - but No Gold" written by Nonja Peters which was published by the University of Western Australia Press 2001. Tess / Australia
G'Day Olga,
During my search for information regarding my families early years in Australia, 1950 and onward, I was introduced to a wonderful book called ' Letters of Heartache and hope' by Edith Torokfalvy. ISBN: 0 646 22175 2. It is self published and can be obtained from Gould Publishing. httgould.com.au/
Edith and her family were in Bonegilla and Mildura camps about the same time as our family.
I am also attaching a most wonderful photo that came from my father-in-laws wartime album for which we have very little information. I send it to you in case the posting of this photo on your site can shake out information on the men in it. My father-in-law is not in the photo. His name is Jan Dziedzic and he was a member of the Polish Underground Swietokrzyska Brigade. His brigade name was Kula. He was born in Olesnica. Here is a link to that Polish Underground unit that my father-in-law was with Swietokrzyska Brigade. It is in Polish, so I am not aware of its content.
With kind regards from Australia, Hans Simons ubg@tsn.cc
1/27/05
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.
Prisoners in Arcady:
German Mariners in Berrima 1915-1919 by John Simons is available from
The Berrima District Historical Society, PO Box 131, Mittagong, NSW, 2575,
Australia. Phone: (02) 48722169 The book costs about $45 plus postage.
Regards, Lavinia, lavinia@mitmania.net.au
1/20/06 Hello Olga,
2/4/06 Dear Olga,
Enclosed please find a travel order belonging to a lady who has since died in Australia. She emmigrated here in 1949 with 2 little boys. I hope this document is of some interest to you, but I am also asking where could I find some background information on this lady. Would there be an employment record for her? Where was she living? Her husband died in Montabaur in 1948. Fantastic website. Cheers, Sandra email: sahara03@optusnet.com.au1/23/08 Hi
Olga,
I am on the quest to find my family history
and found your site. Both my mother and father came over as young
children (to Australia 1950).
I have responded to Janina Kik from your
site as I found that her parents and my grandparents & parents
travelled on the MS Nelly in 1950 – I have supplied passenger
lists, images etc to Janina.
It is possible to find the passenger list
of the MS Nelly at the http://naa12.naa.gov.au – it is free
to search the database – but you must register as a user.
If you use the following text - A434, 1950/3/45007 in the reference
number search filed under the research search after you log in – it
will display 87 pages of the Nelly’s passenger list in digital
format.
I am early in my search of my grandparents/parents
history – family names of Czubara and Pijanka, as all my
grandparents have died – I am now on a quest to gather as
much information as I can.
I am finding your site were interesting and
if I can help anyone else fill in the gaps it would be a pleasure.
Have a nice day.
Regards, Anne-Marie
Pijanka apijanka@internode.on.net
1/30/08 Olga
Thank you. After the Americans came to Kapellen in 1945, mum and dad were taken
temprarily to Anrath. From there they first went to the Dormagen camp (which
was mainly Polish) for a short while and then to Lintorf -
where they stayed from 1946 to 1947. From there they went to Seedorf in about
1948 before being processed for emigration to Australia at Fallinbostel in
1948. They left for Australia from Naples in 1949, arriving in Melbourne
a month later. From there they were taken to Bonegilla - but because mum
had a baby girl (my sister and was pregnant with me) she went to Cowra for
a few weeks as the facilities for mothers was better there. They both finally
came to Canberra in 1948. Do you know if there are any photos of the camps
at Dormagen, Lintorf and Seedorf which are from that era??
Regards, Peter Ilyk ilyk@grapevine.com.au
3/26/08
While in Germany during the second world war Mrs. Irene Ozarchuk nee Kowal
gave birth to a baby girl, Olga. When Olga was a few weeks old, she got
sick and was taken to the hospital. The nurse which admitted the baby said
to Mrs. Ozarchuk, "Oh my name is the same Irene Kowal (Canadian
Ukrainian). A few days later, the nurse brings the pillow and blanket of
the baby and said the baby died.
The mother did not see the baby after her death. As the Russian soldiers
were moving the people, she did not leave her barrack. All these years
she presumed her daughter was dead until a few years ago she receives this
picture stamped at Sydney Australia and at the back it is written in Polish: "Olga
is a well and beautiful lady." No other information is given.
So we presume Olga was sold as a baby in Germany because at that time they
were stealing children and selling them. We presume this is the baby Olga,
grown up and somebody knew about Mrs. Ozarchuk because the enveloppe was
sent to her to Northam. That is why were are trying to locate her. The
hospital was Soltau. The mother was in a displaced person's Camp named
Munster. (Click photo to enlarge.)
We wrote
to Germany and we received Olga's birth certificate but there
is no record of her death. The hospital destroyed their records
after 30 years so we couldn't get the information of when
she was discharged and when they took Olga from the hospital.
We went to the Salvation Army police missing persons unit, but they
all say they cannot help us. So we have tried different channels but to
no avail. The mother is elderly and not too well, therefore, I would like
to see them reunited because I really feel this is her daughter. If not
then al least we'll clear the case. So if you have any further suggestion
I would appreciate to hear from you. Thank you kindly for your time.
Sr. Muriel Zemliak / Ozarchuk family, mzemliak2@bigpond.com
On 5/1/08
I am trying to
get more details on MARIA MAIER who was on
board the Nelly to Australia 1950 from Germany;
then worked for Ford Motor Co. for 2 years. peb12@onthenet.com.au
1/8/09 Dear Olga
I have set up a website httssasturias.net for the interest
of passengers and their families who emigrated to Australia on
the SS
Asturias in the 1940s and 1950s.
In September and December 1947 several hundred Polish Displaced Persons came to Australia on the ship. I have been told they were the first Polish DPs to arrive in this country (but am trying to confirm that). Most of them were soldiers in uniform.
The passenger lists on my site have the names of these people, most of whom were sent to work on hydro-electricity schemes in Tasmania or New South Wales.
The site may be of interest to you. (My own site is quite new - which makes me appreciate all the work you must put into yours to keep it up to date!)
Kind regards
Vicki Doherty info@ssasturias.net
Melbourne, Australia SSAsturias.net
DP Camps. Latvians in Australia Face Book Pages
3/13/2015 Dear Olga
I have been browsing your website. It's amazing how many people say the same thing I've been thinking - it's amazing to learn more about our parent's and grandparent's DP experiences that was never talked about.
You might like to add the below information to your Australia page.
Face Book Pages/Groups
There are a few now and the members are very helpful with enquiries from people looking for family.FB - 'Latvians Living in Australia'
FB - 'Latvians Online'
FB - 'Latvian Federation of Australia and New Zealand'WEB SITES
httlaaj.org.au/
Latvian Federation of Australia and New Zealand
Latvians Online http://latviansonline.com/ (It has Australian Latvian Editors)
FORUM - 'Looking for Friends and Relatives'
http://archive.latviansonline.com/forum/viewforum/11/
It was almost impossible to find this forum by going to Latvians Online and using their own search tool bar. I just already knew it existed.
Ingrid
Australia