Ethnic Affairs Commission of New South Wales - Oral Histories Project (N.S.W.), being interviews with Australians from non-English speaking backgrounds concerning the migrant experience, 1981-1982

MLOH 18

sub-fonds

1981-1982

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

411667

Sound Recording : CY MLOH 18/1-41

Sound Recordings - 41 cassettes - 62hrs 30mins

The Oral Histories Project, first named 'Thirty Years After', was conducted by the Ethnic Affairs Commission of New South Wales in 1981 and 1982. The project was co-ordinated by Janis Wilton. The intention of the project was to interview migrants who had come to Australia in or around 1951. The year 1951 was chosen because it heralded a change in pattern of immigration from large numbers of refugees to voluntary migrants. Twenty interviews were completed in the pilot project. It was originally intended to be a larger project but was concluded after twenty two taped interviews.

1981-1982; Oral Histories Project (N.S.W.) comprises a series of interviews conducted with migrants from countries which include Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Germany, Malta, Italy, Russia, Lithuania, Romania, Cyprus, Spain, Holland and Latvia. Occupations of interviewees include artist, clerk, factory worker, business person, labourer, engineer, builder, accountant, housewife and printer. Interviewees give details of their lives before their immigration to Australia. Interviewees discuss their reasons for choosing Australia; their life in Australia including home, family work and friends; and the adjustments necessary to establish a new life in Australia.

Violet Frank. An account of Violet Frank and her family leaving Hungary for Yugoslavia in 1956, and a description of the months which preceded her arrival in Sydney in September 1957 (no tape, transcription available).

Anatoli E. Gracheff was born in 1902 at Russia. An account of his family background and life in Harbin. He travelled to Germany to study mining engineering and returned to Harbin. Gracheff migrated to Australia with his wife and family in 1957. He discusses his thoughts on life in Australia. Interview conducted in Russian, transcription available in English translation. (no tape)

Renata Spadoni was born in 1933 at Italy and lived at Polla, Italy, until 1947. She arrived in Australia in 1951, married in 1953, and worked at various accounting jobs. (Call No.: CY MLOH 41/3)

Harry Trumpmanis was born in 1899 at Latvia. He arrived in Australia in 1949. An account of Latvian Society and his family background. He discusses his work as an electrician and a telephone technician and his involvement in the Latvian community in Australia. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/4)

Joseph Attard was born in 1942 at Malta. He arrived in Australia in 1949. He gives an account of his family background and education. After his arrival in Sydney Attard worked as a carpenter and labourer. He discusses his family, his politics, and his assimilation into Australian society. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/5-6)

Max Bossman was born in Germany. He arrived in Australia in 1950 and worked for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. He describes conditions for workers on the Snowy Mountains Scheme. His wife later joined him in Australia, and they lived in Cooma, NSW. Interview conducted in German, transcription available in English translation. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/7)

Frank Nowacki was born in Germany. He arrived in Australia in 1951 and worked for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. Interview conducted in German, transcription available in English translation. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/7)

Mira Crouch was born at Belgrade in 1932. Her parents were Austrian Jewish and Serbian. She gives an account of the German occupation of Belgrade after which her father was sent to a concentration camp. Mira Crouch emigrated to Australia in 1949. She attended the University of Sydney. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/8-9)

Mary Ann Forrester was born in 1927 at Hungary and arrived in Australia in 1948. She gives an account of her family background, and life under German occupation when her family changed their religion in order to survive. She discusses her life in Australia. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/10-11)

Guiseppe Galassi was born in 1930 at Italy and arrived in Australia in 1955. He worked as a labourer in Italy. He gives an account of his family background and life in wartime Italy. After his arrival in Australia Galassi moved to Cooma where he married and raised his family. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/12-13)

Leeka Gruzdeff was born in 1939 at Lithuania of Russian parents. She fled Lithuania in 1944 and migrated to Australia in 1950. After arriving in Australia she completed an Arts course and later married and had four children. Leeka Gruzdeff has exhibited and won prizes for her artwork. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/14)

Aleks Justin was born in 1920 at Lithuania. He arrived in Australia in 1950. He discusses his family background, life under Russian and German occupation and in labour camps. He migrated to Australia and settled at Bathurst, NSW, where he married and became involved in the Lithuanian community. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/15-17)

George Martzoukakis was born in 1906 at Romania. He arrived in Australia in 1950 and was first sent to Bathurst, NSW. He returned to Sydney where he ran a shop at Kings Cross. He discusses his life in Romania prior to World War II and his life in Australia. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/18-19)

Eugene (Jeno) Masszauer was born in 1905 at Hungary and arrived in Australia in 1950. He gives an account of his family background and life in Hungary. He was first sent to a camp in Bathurst and then moved to Sydney where he worked a a contractor. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/20-23)

Mariska Nagy was born in Budapest. Her husband was a director of the shipping company Lloyd Triestino and they migrated to Australia in 1938 where they settled in Sydney. Mariska Nagy discusses her life in Sydney and her retail business. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/24)

Edith Juliana Noetel was born in Hungary and arrived in Australia in 1949. She gives an account of her family background, her family life and her work in Cooma, NSW. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/25-27)

Desiderius Orban was born in 1884 at Hungary. He migrated to Australia in 1939. Orban, a noted artist, mainly discusses his experiences in the Australian Military Forces in World War II and includes some personal information. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/28-29)

Charlotte Pajor was born in 1915 at Hungary. She migrated to Australia in 1957. She recounts her family background and life under occupied rule. She also discusses her family. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/30)

Nicholas Perchorowicz was born in 1943 at Poland and migrated to Australia in 1950. Initially he found the transition to an Australian school difficult. At the time of interview he was a university student studying science and music. He was involved with the ethnic community and talks about being an Australian. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/31)

Valentina Perchorowicz was born in 1925 at Poland. She discusses her childhood in Poland and the impact of war. She migrated to Australia where she and her husband established a poultry farm in Sydney. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/32-33)

Mr S. Ramadan was born in 1934 at Cyprus and migrated to Australia in 1951. He recounts his family background and education. His family settled in Sydney where he married and Australian and had three children. He also discusses his work and his involvement in politics and the trade union movement. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/34)

Jose Ruiz-Avila was born in 1944 at Spain and migrated to Australia in 1950. He gives an account of his family background and their escape to Belgium. After their arrival in Australia his father initially worked at Geelong, Victoria, before they moved to Wollongong, NSW. Jose worked as an electrical engineer. He discusses his life in Australia and Spain. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/35)

Richard Treister was born in 1918 at Poland and migrated to Australia in 1952. He discusses religion, minority groups and his family in Poland and his involvement in the Polish community in Australia. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/36-37)

Elisabeth van der Zwaag was born in 1911 at Holland. She recounts her background, her wartime marriage and her children. The family migrated to Perth in 1950. (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/38-39)

Thea Verwey was born in 1922 at Holland and migrated to Australia in 1951. She recounts her family background and life during World War II during which her husband was a prisoner of war. The family migrated to Australia where they settled at Bathurst, NSW. She discusses her husband's work on the railways and the differences in culture between Holland and Australia. Transcript available. REPRODUCTION RESTRICTED (Call No.: CY MLOH 18/40-41)

Interviews without sound recordings were conducted with Lina Spiteri, Mark Tedeschi, Thor Thorvaldson, Kayla Szumer, Natalie Scornikov, Anna Thompson, John Sarvay, Sam Sammut, Charlie Raimondo, Pilar Otaegui and John Pace. Transcriptions are filed at MLMSS 4407 along with additional papers accompanying taped interviews.

English, German, Russian

Reproduction Restricted: Applies to CY MLOH 18/40-41

Sound recordings are accompanied by papers filed at MLMSS 4407.
Transcripts and logs of interviews are available.
Further tapes have been added at Z MLOH 213/1-2, Harry Seidler interviewed by Janis Wilton, 1982