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Childhood Memories of Migration

Images, Imaginings and Impressions: An Exhibition

At Cabramatta Migrant Hostel 1959

Curated by Helen Tierney

5 April - 29 June 2003

Opening
Thursday 10 April 5.00pm
by Professor Ien Ang FAHA
Director of the Institute for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney

Fairfield City Museum and Gallery
Cnr The Horsley Drive & Oxford Street SmithfieldTel: (02) 9609 3993Gallery hours: Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1pm-4pm

(From the exhibition program):

Australia is predominantly a settler society. The majority of Australians born here however, know remarkably little about why migrants left their homelands, and could not imagine being exposed to war, civil unrest, unstable governments or sustained economic hardship.

This exhibition is dedicated to those families and children who made that journey to an unknown land, coming by all methods and means to make a new life for themselves and as a result, to change ours. It is not an easy decision to leave the country where your heart is. In all cases, the decision is made on behalf of children and in their best interests, with little or no consultation.

[...]

Although there were periods of dislocation, disorientation and desolation, hostels are remembered fondly as places of certainty and security where children and parents could retreat from the stress of community life outside. Time spent in the hostels provided an insight into the society that lay beyond. It was like a mini-global village, with its many cultures, its narrow lanes, its shop, bank and post office.

For children without English, school was an unfriendly place. Being different made the difference - the way they looked, the way they dressed, and the way they spoke. Dealing with offensive remarks and the inability to express feelings were commonplace, until children adjusted to the system and had more control over language.

For migrants and refugees, regardless of country of origin or year of arrival, setting up house became a priority. Often both parents worked hard in multiple jobs. For many it was months and years of do-it-yourself house construction on weekends or after work. They made their homes in the areas around the hostels that were familiar to them. The availability of foreign language newspapers, social, cultural and religious organisations, and many different kinds of food made adjustment easier.

The first home in Australia is remembered with pride and satisfaction, a place to be still after years on the move. It was the outward sign that migrants had earned a place in the community. For the families, it was a place where they could regain their self-respect and their cultural practices in the privacy of their own home without interference or prejudice.

Their physical journey is over. Australia is "home" and a dual identity is their legacy reflecting both their homeland and their adopted home.

Postscript

The exhibition has focused on the shared memories of children who passed through Cabramatta and Villawood Migrant Hostels between 1950 and 1990. The former Villawood Hostel is still used to accommodate children of asylum seekers, but they are being detained. Like those before them, the decision to leave was made for them. They have made a similar journey, and for similar reasons. What will their memories be?