On a recent trip I re-visited the immigration camp at Bonegilla,which now is a memorial to over 300 000 migrants who arrived in Australia between 1947 and 1971 and this is where it all began for me in June 1955.
We have a similar suitcase on display, in the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre, in Smithfield (Sydney) but this onespeaks to me more. Not only because of its association with Bonegilla but because we were advised, in the Netherlands, to buy shoes (Bata) to take with us (also tools) but in Australia they were supposed to be of “such poor quality.”
Thank you Mrjoop,wow,well it was a different time zone in those days
I’m with Christine!! I’m not sure about " wonderful ", " nostalgic stuff ", " lovely nostalgic ", etc.. These captures certainly speak to me and represent the ‘shock’ of being taken from a normal, comfortable, suburban life, in Gouda, the Netherlands, to an abandoned, stark ex-army camp, albeit in lovely surroundings of green hills and an impressive dam, near-by in the land of the rainbow gold.
It must have been a much greater shock to kid’s and families then to me as a young adventurer in those days and in that I’m on your side. Thank’s for all your nice comments Ozcloggie
Comments
lovely nostalgic photo
Thank you Simon
– Hans Kawitzki
Oh Hans!!! What a great image!! Nostalic stuff indeed! Taken with such grace, and thoughtfulness. A very special image indeed no doubt! :-))
Thank you Magee for your nice comment
– Hans Kawitzki
How wonderful! Such memories.
Thank you Rosalie,it goes back into a different time zone
– Hans Kawitzki
A very poignant image.
Thank you Christine
– Hans Kawitzki
We have a similar suitcase on display, in the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre, in Smithfield (Sydney) but this one speaks to me more. Not only because of its association with Bonegilla but because we were advised, in the Netherlands, to buy shoes (Bata) to take with us (also tools) but in Australia they were supposed to be of “such poor quality.”
Thank you Mrjoop,wow,well it was a different time zone in those days
– Hans Kawitzki
I’m with Christine!! I’m not sure about " wonderful ", " nostalgic stuff ", " lovely nostalgic ", etc..
These captures certainly speak to me and represent the ‘shock’ of being taken from a normal, comfortable, suburban life, in Gouda, the Netherlands, to an abandoned, stark ex-army camp, albeit in lovely surroundings of green hills and an impressive dam, near-by in the land of the rainbow gold.
It must have been a much greater shock to kid’s and families then to me as a young adventurer in those days and in that I’m on your side.
Thank’s for all your nice comments Ozcloggie
– Hans Kawitzki
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