The Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre was a camp set up for receiving and training migrants to Australia during the post World War II immigration boom. The camp was set on 130 hectares (320 acres) near Wodonga at the locality of Bonegilla in north east Victoria, [1] between the Hume Dam and the city of Wodonga. The site was a former World War II Australian Army base, and is adjacent to the current Latchford Barracks. Before being requisitioned by the army, the site was originally a section of large pastoral land. [2] The camp opened in 1947 and operated until 1971, over which period it received over 300,000 migrants. [1] It is estimated that over 1.5 million Australians are descended from migrants who spent time at Bonegilla. [3] Eric Bana's parents were both processed through Bonegilla. The grandfather of actor and screenwriter Jason Agius stayed at the camp in 1952. [4] Other former residents include Karl Kruszelnicki, [5] Franca Arena, [6] Arvi Parbo, Les Murray, [1] [7] Susan Duncan, [8] Pi O and Raimond Gaita. [9]
In the 24 years in which the camp operated, the estimated amount of arrivals was approximately 309,000. It remains the largest and longest-lasting migrant reception centre in post-war Australia. [10] In 1945 the Australian Government, led by the ALP, actively sought to implement policies that would increase the natural population. This resulted in the opening of twenty holding centres and three reception centres (including Bonegilla) by 1951. The Aliens Act of 1947, the Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948, and the Migration Act of 1958 [11] increased migration although it placed migrants under surveillance and limited social access. The Assisted Passage Scheme encouraged passage for British migrants in 1946. [2] However, less than 7000 British citizens migrated during the period, which meant that the government instead turned to the displaced persons and war refugees (of which there were an estimated 1.6 million) in French, Austrian, and German camps. These migrants were granted passage under a two-year labour contract to be housed at the reception and training centres to adjust into the 'Australian way of life'. [2]
The camp, with very basic facilities, was separated socially and geographically from nearby Albury and Wodonga and most residents were from non-English speaking nations. [1] [12] The camp was broken up into 24 blocks each with a kitchen, mess hut, and bath and toilet blocks. The site had an overall total of more than 800 buildings. [2] The accommodation itself was in ex-Army unlined timber-framed buildings with corrugated iron walls. The rooms were designed to accommodate 20 people and contained no internal partitions. [13] There was minimal done to prepare for the arrival of migrants in 1947. [13] 47,000 beds were made available for non-British migrants across all reception centres by 1949. In 1947, Bonegilla had the capacity for less than 2,000 beds which increased to 7,700 by 1950. [2] From 1951 onward, the internal walls were slowly lined and painted and cubicles installed, allowing some privacy. [13] Upgrades to accommodation were sped up as the conditions were deemed inappropriate for incoming Dutch and British migrants. In 1955, these upgrades extended to the centre's sewer systems and the planting of trees for shade and windbreaks. [2]
New arrivals generally docked at Port Melbourne and arrived by train at Bonegilla railway siding, where officials would receive them with a meal and accommodation. [2] [14] Migrants were separated and sectioned into blocks by nationality, and within these blocks men and women were segregated, even those that were married. Luggage and blankets were used as partitions to allow minor privacy and personal space. [2]
Recreational activities consisted of dance classes, a library, soccer and swimming at Lake Hume. The Tudor Hall in Block 19 was used for dancing, and the cinema showed films twice weekly. [2] [15]
Employment officers assessed the employability of migrants and allocated them to jobs Australia-wide. There was some minor allowance for the preferences of migrants, but consistent refusals of work offers could result in loss of social service benefits. [16] Men were classified as 'labourers' and women as 'domestics'; many were frustrated by the ignorance of trade, professional, and skill qualifications and were expected to start work as simple labourers, though some received award wages. [16]
Bonegilla hosted a majority of European migrants, as most British migrants were allocated to other urban centres. Within this European majority, many of the migrants were from non-English speaking countries. [10] From 1947 until 1951, all migrants were from eastern and southern Europe. [2] With the reintroduction of a passage migrant scheme with the Netherlands in February 1951, as well as the existing scheme with Britain from 1946 and a similar one with Italy in March 1951, the demographics of the camp shifted from strictly European.
The centre was remote from the larger cities and generally attracted little attention from the Australian press. The distant location from the metropolitan cities of Melbourne and Sydney was ideal, as it was feared that migrants would create ethnic groups which would damage the image of the immigration program. There was also the worry that migrants would put Australians at a disadvantage for the limited accommodation during the war. [2] Press interest was raised in 1949 when thirteen newly arrived children died from malnutrition. An official inquiry was critical of the inadequately staffed and equipped hospital. [17]
In July 1952, a riot broke out in the camp as a result of work demands. Italian migrants damaged buildings in response to their lack of job allocations. Giovanni Sgro, an Italian migrant and later Victorian politician, recalled that, "[we] burned two or three huts and set fire to the church". [18] The migrants had been at the camp for several months without work prospects; although there was the implementation of a contracting job network, Italian migrants thought they had priority as they were required to repay the Commonwealth for the price of their passage from Italy to Australia. [2]
Italian and German migrants staged a riot in 1961, smashing the employment office and clashing with police. The protesters posted signs reading "We want work or back to Europe" and "Bonegilla camp without hope". They were similarly frustrated as the rioters in 1952 about the length of time spent at Bonegilla without employment. [2] The police arrested six Germans and five Italians. This riot gained considerable attention in Europe, especially in Italy, which factored into the non-renewal of the immigration agreement between Australia and Italy. These events embarrassed Australian authorities and saw a review of settlement policies. [17]
In 1990, Block 19 was protected under conservation by the Register of National Estate, which stopped the demolition of the remaining 28 huts. The other buildings had already undergone demolition when the Australian Army reclaimed the site after the camp's closure in 1971. Initially the Australian Army contested the proposed AHC listing on the grounds that the camp was being favoured over army history at the site. [10] In 2002, it was put onto the Victorian Heritage Register, and in 2007, on the Australian National Heritage List. [3] Bonegilla's Block 19 was selected for its "outstanding" significance as "a symbol of post-war migration which transformed Australia's economy, society, and culture". [10]
The only section of the camp remaining is Block 19 which now is now a museum and interpretive centre. [1] In 1997, the Albury Regional Museum began collecting for a ten-day festival commemorating the 50th anniversary of Bonegilla's opening. The collection was also display at smaller festivals in 1999. In 1987, 1997, and 1999, ethnic groups held reunions with food, music, and dance. [10] In 2001, the Victorian Government allocated two million dollars for the construction of a tourism venue and commemorative centre at Block 19. The Albury Regional Museum created a moving exhibition in 2001 titled From the Steps of Bonegilla. The success of this exhibition resulted in a secondary exhibition in Canberra using materials from the National Australian Archives and in Melbourne using materials from the Immigration Museum. [10]
In 2010, Bonegilla Migrant Experience Heritage Park was reopened for the public in partnership with the City of Wodonga, the Australian Government as a National Heritage Place, and the Albury Regional Museum Library. The Bonegilla Migrant Experience allows visitors to take guided tours of the remaining buildings, explore the history of the site as well as browse records concerning family history, and also organise educational tours for school groups. [19] The relaunching of the park was driven by the Bonegilla Migrant Experience Advisory Committee, as well as the various ethnic community councils, the Victorian Multicultural Commission, State Heritage, the city councils of Wodonga and Albury, and the association of ex-Bonegilla residents led by the Greek community. [20]
The Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre will be the backdrop of an upcoming Australian film, starring Vince Colosimo, Isabel Lucas and James Bond actor George Lazenby. [21] [22] [23]
Albury–Wodonga is the broad settlement incorporating the twin Australian cities of Albury and Wodonga, which are separated geographically by the Murray River and politically by a state border: Albury on the north of the river is part of New South Wales, while Wodonga on the south bank is in Victoria.
Albury is a major regional city that is located in the Murray region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the twin city of Albury-Wodonga and is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the City of Albury. It is on the Victoria–New South Wales border.
Wodonga is a city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, 324 kilometres (201 mi) north-east of Melbourne, Australia. It is part of the twin city of Albury-Wodonga and is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA and is separated from its twin city in New South Wales, Albury, by the Murray River. As of 2021 Wodonga and its suburbs have a population of 38,949 and combined with Albury, the two cities form the urban area Albury-Wodonga with a population of 97,793. There are multiple suburbs of Wodonga including Bandiana, Baranduda, Barnawartha, Bonegilla, Ebden, Huon Creek, Killara, Leneva and Staghorn.
The Scheyville National Park is a protected national park that is located in the northwestern suburbs of Sydney in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 920-hectare (2,300-acre) national park is situated approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of the Sydney central business district, northeast of Windsor, near the settlement of Scheyville. Longneck Lagoon lies in the northern section of the park. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 9 April 2010.
The City of Wodonga is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of 433 square kilometres (167 sq mi) and in August 2021, had a population of 43,253.
Ten Pound Poms were British citizens who migrated to Australia and New Zealand after the Second World War. The Government of Australia initiated the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme in 1945, and the Government of New Zealand initiated a similar scheme in 1947. The Australian government arranged for assisted passage to Australia on chartered ships and aircraft.
Uranquinty is a small town approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Wagga Wagga, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The population of the town, often referred to as "Quinty", is 909.
Post-war immigration to Australia deals with migration to Australia in the decades immediately following World War II, and in particular refers to the predominantly European wave of immigration which occurred between 1945 and the end of the White Australia policy in 1973. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Ben Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia (1945–1949), established the federal Department of Immigration to administer a large-scale immigration program. Chifley commissioned a report on the subject which found that Australia was in urgent need of a larger population for the purposes of defence and development and it recommended a 1% annual increase in population through increased immigration.
Jindera is a small town in the South West Slopes section of the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated in the Greater Hume Shire local government area, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of the regional centre of Albury. At the 2016 census, Jindera had a population of 2,222 residents.
Ukrainian Australians refers to Australian citizens of Ukrainian descent, or Ukraine-born people who emigrated to Australia. They are an ethnic minority in Australia, numbering about 38,000 people according to the 2011 Census. Currently, the main concentrations of Ukrainians are located in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Greta Army Camp was an Australian Army camp built in 1939 near Greta, New South Wales, Australia. It was used for training soldiers of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2AIF) during World War II. After World War II, the camp was converted into a migrant camp. The Australian army sold the site at auction in 1980.
Leonid Denysenko was a Ukrainian Australian artist living in Sydney, Australia. He is notable for the introduction of the graphic art technique of "literography". He is the only surviving founding member of the Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia.
Bonegilla was a railway station located in the town of Bonegilla, on the Cudgewa railway line in Victoria, Australia.
Bonegilla is a bounded rural locality of the City of Wodonga local government area in north-east Victoria, Australia, ten km (6 mi) east of Wodonga, and around 300 km (190 mi) north-east of Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Bonegilla and the surrounding area had a population of 610.
Latchford Barracks is an Australian Army base in Bonegilla, located about 8 km (5 mi) to the east of Wodonga. It is named after Colonel E.W. Latchford, MBE, MC (1889–1962). The barracks is host to the Army Logistic Training Centre. The Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre was located at the barracks, prior to the barracks being reused for military purposes.
Finnish Australians are Australian citizens of Finnish ancestry or Finland-born people who reside in Australia. According to Finnish estimates, there are approximately 30,000 Australians of Finnish ancestry, and about 7,500 Finland-born Finns residing in Australia.
Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory is a heritage-listed factory at 82 Colmslie Road, Morningside, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is also known as Colmslie Migrant Hostel, Fairmile Naval Base, Hans Continental Smallgoods Factory, and HMAS Moreton, Colmslie. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 December 2007.
The Benalla Migrant Camp, formally known as the Benalla Holding Centre and the Benalla Migrant Accommodation Centre, was one of 23 similar camps established by the Australian government to provide temporary housing for non-British new arrivals in post-World War II Australia. Opened in Benalla in 1949, it housed migrant families until 1967, when the number of residents had diminished sufficiently for the camp to close. By that time, over 60,000 people, mainly of Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian, German, and Estonian origins, as well as other nationalities, had been accommodated there. After decades of neglect, the site was finally recognised and state heritage listed in 2016.
Balgownie Migrant Workers Hostel is a heritage-listed former migrant hostel at Squires Way, Fairy Meadow, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1950 to 1951 by Concrete Constructions Pty Ltd. The surviving remnants of the hostel are Huts 201, 204 and 210. It is also known as the Fairy Meadow Migrant Hostel. The site is now used for student accommodation as part of the University of Wollongong's Campus East. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 28 August 2009.
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