Populate
or Perish - 1947 New Australians - Nissen huts
Darebin’s Australians: Immigrants to Citizens
For the 2nd time in half a century the world had been at war.
Death, disease, famine, refugees, civic & environmental destruction.
In Australia, with few exceptions most people were from the ‘British
Isles’ or their Australian born descendants. In 1945 the Chifley
Labour Government set up the Commonwealth Dept. of Immigration to
oversee an ambitious migration program that would accept large scale
British & Continental European immigration as a way of “protecting
our standards of living & security”. Arthur Calwell, Minister
for Immigration told Australians in 1947:
“We cannot afford to indulge in racial or religious predjudices.
Hatred & fear of foreigners needs to be replaced by generous
welcome”.
Arthur Calwell - The Northcote Leader 1949:
IMMIGRANTS TO CITIZENS
Among the first post World War 2 immigrants were refugees from Eastern
Europe, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary & Lithuania. People from
countries including Italy, Greece and Lebanon followed. Immigration
from the ‘50s until the early ‘70s saw about 3 million
people arrive in Australia with many settling in Darebin. Coming
from the old world to the new they set about the challenge of learning
English and re-settlement. They found jobs in factories and labour
intensive occupations, went into businesses and set about carving
out the better life that war torn Europe had forced them to seek.
Many people of this era had known the horrors of war, poverty and
unemployment. Work, family and education were powerful driving forces.
They worked hard so their children could reap the rewards of an
education and a ‘better life’ in the lucky country.
How can we measure their contribution? Post World War 2 immigration
spans generations, their children and grandchildren are an integral
part of Australian society in countless walks of life - food, sport,
literature, environment, medicine, architecture, art, music, business
and industry to name a few. The story of immigrants, has played
a hugely important role in the history of this country and greatly
influenced all aspects of Australian life today. This series of
Darebin’s Australians was produced by two 2nd generation Australian
Italians, who live in Darebin and who’s parents arrived in
the 1950s.
“Generally immigrants have performed magnificently &
have been a distinct acquisition to the Labour force......those
not proficient in the English language are eager to learn”
The Northcote Leader 1949
‘ARTHUR CALWELL 1896-1973. 1ST AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTER
FOR IMMIGRATION - 1945’
Few men in a lifetime can change the face of a country as much as
Arthur Augustus Calwell changed Australia. By the end of his life
in 1973 the population mix of Australia was transformed.
IRISH BACKGROUND
He was born on August 28th 1896 in Melbourne.
Both his grandparents were of Irish decent and had immigrated in
1853, the gold rush era, settling in the Kyneton district. Greatly
influenced by his mother Margret Annie McLoughlin, Calwell was proud
of his Irish American roots. “Migration and the American melting
pot were part of my folk-memory”.
He attended Catholic schools in West and North Melbourne. Greatly
influenced by the hardships experienced by many during the 1930s
Depression, a Socialist and believer in the distribution of wealth,
he was elected to the Australian Federal Parliament in 1940 as the
Member for the seat of Melbourne and represented his constituency
until 1972.
CALWELL ON INTERNMENT
Calwell fought against the ‘internment’ regime. On September
28th 1942, the Aliens Classification and Advisory Committee was
appointed with Calwell as Chairman. He was well suited to understanding
the problems of those interned, because he himself was almost interned
in 1918 because of his Irish background and his anti-conscription
views. He knew that a large number of those interned had been arrested
for insufficient reason. Why should 43.11 % of all aliens in Queensland
be interned, compared with only 2.97 % in Victoria?”
Calwell explained that his policy had been influenced by the fact
that: “In Australia many of the aliens of enemy origin have
been driven from their countries by political, racial or religious
persecution. That it was absurd to treat such people as enemy aliens
and that the policy of the government be shaped accordingly”.
As Chairman of the Classification and Advisory Committee, Calwell
was chiefly responsible for the early discharge of the internees.
This was done under high security so little was known of it at the
time or since. He was supported by a committee of fair-minded Australians
who saw no reason to disagree with Calwell’s policy. In the
first 3 months, from September to December 1942, 268 internees were
released. Between January and August 1943, 1,543 were freed; between
August 1943 and April 1944, 2,235 and between April and December
1944, 504 were freed. His contact with enemy aliens convinced Calwell
that most of them were excellent citizens, so that, later on, he
had no such fears to bring more of such people to Australia. Calwell
disliked internment and saw it “as a monstrous interference
with individual freedom”.
CALWELL AS MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION
In 1945 the Chifley Labor Government was elected. Arthur Calwell
was given the new portfolio of Minister for Immigration. As minister
he opened up Immigration to peoples from across Europe but not to
non-European peoples. “It is true that a measure of discrimination
on racial grounds is exercised in the administration of our immigration
policy.” Arthur Calwell was open to European immigration but
was still a believer in the White Australia Policy.
‘NEW AUSTRALIANS’ Calwell first coined the phrase ‘New Australian’
in parliament on the 15th of October 1947. He appealed to Australians
not to call migrants ‘Balts’, ‘Displaced persons’
and ‘DP’s. He suggested they should be called ‘New
Australians’.
SHIPPING
In 1947, Calwell went to England, Continental Europe and to America.
The great post-war flow of migrants to Australia began after Calwells
twelve and a half week trip abroad in 1947. In all he visited 23
countries. What he saw in war torn Europe convinced Calwell that
continental Europe could supply the people needed more quickly than
Britain could. When in Geneva-Swizerland, Calwell reached agreement
with the International Refugees Organisation to take 4,000 Refugees
in 1947 and 12,000 per annum in each year following if they supplied
there own shipping.
THE NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS COMING TO AUSTRALIA’
Calwell was been subjected to criticism that he was introducing
too many alien migrants. Of 32,000 people admitted to Australia
in 1947, 23,000 were British and 9,000 non-British. He told the
house that, “if we did not take the excellent displaced persons
we are now bringing from Europe the ships that are carrying them
will take them elsewhere” Between 1948 and 1957, only 33.9%
of permanent arrivals in Australia came from the U.K. Australia’s
face was changing.
Arthur Calwell served in Australia’s Parliament from 1940
until 1972.
Immigration Minister from 1945-49, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
from 1952-1960 and Leader of the Opposition from 1960 until 1967.
ARTHUR CALWELL A DAREBIN-RESERVOIR STORY
Italian immigrants, Silvana and Aldo have lived in Darebin since
1962. In the early 1960s Aldo was having difficulty trying to bring
his parents out from Italy. Their application had been rejected
several times. Someone said to Aldo that he should get in contact
with the former Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell.
ALDO WRITES TO ARTHUR CALWELL
Aldo wrote to Mr Calwell and shortly after Arthur Calwell got in
touch with him suggesting he come to his office in Melbourne. Aldo
showed him the rejection letters from the Immigration department.
The letters said that they didn't recognise the two people as his
parents. Arthur laughed when he read the letter, "leave it
with me" he said. Two months later his parents application
was approved. Aldo and Silvana were thankful for Mr Calwell's help
and they kept in touch sending Christmas cards.
ARTHUR CALWELL, GODFATHER TO SILVANA & ALDO'S FIRST
SON
When their first son, Roberto was born in 1962, they asked Mr Calwell
if he would be his Godfather, Arthur accepted. "Arthur Calwell
came to visit, he came on the unmade roads driving a 'big car'.
The baptism took place at St Gabriel's Catholic Church, Reservoir.
"he was a lovely, giving and caring man, you wouldn't find
many like him."
HISTORY OF NISSEN HUTS
Nissen huts were named after Peter Norman Nissen(1871-1930) a British
army officer and mining engineer who designed them. They were a
prefabricated building of corrugated steel in the shape of a half
cylinder. With the U.S.A. preparing for World War One, Nissen's
design was immediately accepted as an all-purpose building for use
overseas. It had a semi-circular cross-section for strength, cavity
walls for insulation, and required no special skill to erect. It
had the further advantage that it used common materials such as
concrete, corrugated iron, and plaster-board, and was therefore
cheap.Nissen huts became the standard U.S. army building overseas,
used especially by military personnel as a shelter. Erection was
normally carried out by six men over a period of 4 hours. The record
time for erecting a hut was 1 hour 27 minutes. Hundreds of thousands
made their appearance on airstrips, hospitals and army depots around
the world including Australia.
After the First World War Nissen huts helped with housing shortages
and were seen again in various guises in many theatres of war.
The huts have seen service as migrant hostels, churches, schools,
chooks sheds and even barns.
MIGRANT HOSTELS
Nissen huts were a staple of migrant camps in 1950s Australia.
Initially migrant workers hostels were run by the Department of
Labour. The administration of hostels was handed over to Commonwealth
Hostels Limited in January 1952. The Department of Immigration was
responsible for Commonwealth owned hostels and service camps used
to house displaced persons and other immigrants arriving in Australia.
This Commonwealth-owned company operated until 1978. They established
and administered migrant reception and training centres and migrant
accommodation centres such as Bonegilla, Benalla, Broadmedows, Holmesglen,
Somers and East Preston in Victoria, Rushworth, Stuart and Wacol
in Queensland and Northam Holden, Graylands and Cunderdin in Western
Australia. In NSW, from 1948 to 1978, migrant hostels operated in
Adamstown, Balgownie, Bankstown, Bathurst, Bradfield Park, Bunnerong,
Burwood, Matraville, Cabramatta, Cronulla, Dundas,East Hills, Ermington,
Goulburn, Greta, Katoomba, Kingsgrove, Kyeemagh, Leeton, Lithgow,Mascot,
Mayfield, Meadowbank, Nelson Bay, North Head, Orange, Port Kembla,
Port Stephens, Randwick, St Marys, Scheyville, Schofields, Unanderra,
Villawood, Wallerawang and Wallgrove.
NISSEN HUTS IN DAREBIN
For hundreds of ‘New Australians’ their first home in
Darebin was a migrant hostel of Nissen huts in East Preston.
The hostel opened in1952. Regular bus serves took people to trains,
trams, work and shops. The canteen and laundry provided opportunities
for many cross-cultural friendships which endured after leaving
the hostel. Laundry areas also provided opportunities for the clandestine
cooking and sharing of more culturally acceptable food. Hostel food
is remembered as ‘foreign and tasteless’ yet many missed
the social atmosphere of the dining hall after they left the hostels.The
hostel was like a ‘global village’ which eased the transition
into the society beyond. Many residents later set up permanent homes
in the municipality. The hostel closed in 1971.
Only one of these historic Nissen Huts remains in Darebin and is
located on Chifley Dve.
DAREBIN RESIDENT LYN BOUGHTON - MEMORIES
Lyn was born in England in 1952. Her parents, four brothers and
sister came to Australia in 1960 on the ship Fairstar. “We
lived in Cabramatta Hostel in NSW when we first arrived. A few years
later my father applied for a managerial position in Commonwealth
Hostels. We lived in nearly every hostel in Sydney and Melbourne
and even a few in Adelaide.”
MIGRANT HOSTEL - EAST PRESTON
“In the mid ‘60s we lived in a migrant hostel of Nissen
Huts in East Preston. No matter what hostel we were posted to, they
all looked identical. Even the furniture was the same. Each nationality
was
grouped together and every six or so Nissen Huts would have a block
laundry and bathroom. The huts were only really for relaxing and
sleeping. We were not allowed to cook in them either, though everybody
had an electric jug for making hot drinks. We ate meals in the huge
dinning room. This was pretty intimidating for me as I was quite
young and we used to go to eat without our parents. One day I dropped
a plate and everyone in the whole place clapped and cheered. I was
very embarrassed and used to hate going to the canteen. I can remember
there was a real mix of nationalities in the hostels, Italians,
Greeks, Yugoslavs, French, German, Hungarian, English Scots, Irish
etc. The food was usually pretty anglo and other nationalities must
have been very homesick for their own cuisine.”
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
“I guess my interest in teaching English as a Second Language
came from my childhood where I would play with kids who couldn't
speak english and we would play and learn english at the same time.
I think there may have been classes for the adults to learn english,
but kids learned quite naturally and quickly playing with other
kids.”
SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO, 5.7 MILLION IMMIGRANTS
HAVE COME TO AUSTRALIA.
