50 Great Years in Australia
Today, 50 years ago, on June 18, 1975, Hanna, our one-year-old son Adam, born in Hamburg, and I landed at Kingsford Airport in Sydney to start a new life in Australia. We departed Poland in June 1973 and spent 2 years in West Germany as refugees. We travelled to Australia on a one-way, ‘no return’ German travel documents as the Polish People’s Republic has refused to extend the validity of our passports. We were delighted when Australia accepted us for migration.
We arrived in Sydney with great expectations, although we had known that the settlement might not be that easy. Our knowledge of the English language was abysmal. Although we hold tertiary qualifications, we were unsure if they would be recognised in Australia. From the airport, we were taken on an old bus through the Western Sydney suburbs to the Westbridge Hostel in Villawood. The first impressions were mixed. Finally, the big plus – we got a small apartment of our own! Now our priority was to learn the English language – it was a big task, and our exercises to perfect the ‘th ’ pronunciation in front of the bathroom mirror became famous among the hostel’s migrants. But Villawood was no Hamburg – no footpaths on streets around the hostel (Adam’s German pram lost a wheel on the neighborhood lawns and could not be repaired), no proper shopping centers nearby, no plastic shopping bags…But within the first 3 months, we found employment in Ralph Symonds Plywood Factory in Homebush and started to settle in. Hanna worked as a quality technician (she was an engineer by profession). As a lawyer and sociologist by training, I worked on a night shift pressing plywood plates. Our day/night shifts at the factory allowed us to look after Adam.
Looking back, Australia gave us fantastic opportunities. We could adjust our qualifications – now I hold a Ph.D. from UNE and Hanna has a postgraduate degree in computer science.
My work path involved approximately 20 years in senior positions within the Federal Government, primarily in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. I have also headed a government department in South Australia, served for five years as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, chaired the Australian Multicultural Council for eight years, and been a university professor for over 20 years. During that time, I have made significant contributions to Australian human rights and multicultural policies and practices. I have also contributed to Poland gaining its independence in 1989 by effectively supporting the Solidarity movement in the 1980s. Hanna finished her professional work overseeing IT services in the federal Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
On a personal level, we have three loving and professionally successful children who, together with their great partners, have given us eight grandchildren.
Thank you, Australia, for giving us such fantastic opportunities to flourish. Thank you also for allowing us to contribute to the future of this great nation. Thank you also to a significant
number of friends who extended their support, making our success possible. Love you all!