Amy McCloskey was a young Sydney woman in her late 20s she when she and a friend decided to go on a 'working holiday' to England in 1954. As she was a trained nurse she was able to work in this field in London and a year later, when she had saved her fare home, she decided to return to Australia. Amy left London on the Orient Line ship the SS Orontes in May 1955. On her first night on board she met Percival Alfred (Pat) Thomas.
Pat was 34 years old (he was born on 6 December 1920), a trained librarian and was immigrating to Australia. Pat felt there was limited potential to move up in his field in England, and a female cousin who had immigrated to Australia had told him of the opportunities available here. Family responsibilities kept him in England, he was looking after his elderly parents and an aunt, but once they had passed away his brother encouraged him to 'take the plunge' and move to Australia. Pat applied to Australia House in London for assistance but was rejected and had to pay his own fare. He also made contact with a librarian group in Melbourne before he left; Amy stated that 'he came out with the idea of succeeding'.
Stevenson, M. (2011) Pat Thomas, English Migrant, & Amy McCloskey, 1955 in Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/6796
Accessed 16 July 2021
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"Settling into a new country is not easy. Immigrants have to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and lifestyle, while maintaining aspects of their previous culture and way of life.
Many newcomers to Victoria spent their new lives in limbo, spending months in temporary migrant accommodation, committed to two year labour contracts. For others, settlement has been far easier because they spoke English, or government had offered assistant land or home scheme.
Generations of immigrants have had to adapt to a new climate, new landscape, new language, new currency, and new lifestyle, especially those who have settled in rural areas.
Each immigrant has their own unique story to tell. Whilst for many it was difficult, the vast majority eventually found their feet. The immigrant stories below explore why they came, where they settled and how they started a new life in Victoria."
Immigrant stories. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/r esources/immigrant-stories/
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Between 1947 and 1981, over a million Britons emigrated to Australia, the majority of whom travelled under the ten pound assisted passage scheme funded by the British and Australian governments (Hammerton; Thomson, 2005). This large intake of British migrants was encouraged as part of Australia's 'populate or perish' nation-building initiative, which emerged in the aftermath of World War II (Tavan, 2005). As the name suggests, the scheme allowed for affordable travel to Australia, with the cost of an adult ticket a mere £10, and all children traveling for free by the 1960s (Hammerton; Thomson, 2005).
Pullen, C. (2014) Post World War II British Migration to Australia in Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/13640
Accessed 16 July 2021
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National Archives Australia. (2021). record search national archives of australia. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/In terface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=152 6927&isAv=N.
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The Migration Museum explores how the movement of people to and from Britain across the ages has shaped who we are – as individuals, as communities, and as a nation.
Migration is a pressing contemporary issue and is at the centre of polarised political and online debate. But there’s an underlying story of comings and goings stretching back many centuries. And this story goes to the heart of who we are today. Britain has thousands of museums, but none comprehensively focused on this important theme that connects us all. The time is right for a highly relevant, accessible visitor attraction that shines a light on who we are, where we come from and where we are going.
About the migration museum - migration museum. (2021). Migration Museum. Retrieved from https://www.migrationmuseum.org/about-our-project/
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