Sale Migrant Camp Australia

Sale Migrant Camp

West Sale memorial unveiled

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Wikipedia - Post-war immigration to Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org

PANDAZOPOULOS HANDS OVER CHEQUE FOR WEST SALE MEMORIAL PROJECT
See below extract for the website:
"The West Sale Migrant Holding Centrewas located at the disused RAAF Base in Fulham between 1949 & 1953. It provided accommodation for women & children while their respective husbands worked & lived at work camp sites across Gippsland.

Over 700 families displaced by the war in Europe called West Sale home. Until this decade there were virtually no formal local records of this facility existing as well as a generally low wider community awareness. Given that most of these migrants settled in Gippsland & have made significant economic, cultural & spiritual contributions, it was felt that a formal acknowledgment would be appropriate.

The project began in 1999 with a reunion for those who stayed in West Sale & their descendants. This was a healing & joyful occasion for many.

In 2002 the West Sale Heritage festival was staged at the site of the former camp. It attracted over 4000 people from across the state & overseas. The history of the site & its people was documented & a book published in 2002 - Titled We Came With Nothing by Ann Synan and a radio series called Footprints In The Tar by yours truly. The book and the radio series received the Victorian Community History award in Victoria for 2003.

The centrepiece of the project was to establish a permanent memorial in West Sale to those who contributed so much locally & wider Victoria.

West Sale Migrant Memorial Project publicly recognises the contributions made in the development of Gippsland by migrants who came to the area in the 1950s, following World War Two. Now the driving force behind the project Don Santowiak is at it again - this time with a commemorative concert planned for the 18th March.

If you’d like to put your name on the list for the concert - give Don a call on 5135 9517

I have just spoken to two people who were involved heavily in the construction of the memorial. They are posting a book which they wrote about the Sale Migrant Camp.

NOTE: they say in the article above, that the Air Force Base was disused – however, while I was there it was a fully operational air force base. I remember watching the planes with my father under a row of very tall pine trees.

I have attached two photographs: My father, the tallest on the bridge , As Refugees they were contracted for two Years to build bridges, culverts etc in Gippsland for the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission

Passport photograph of me with the Refugee stamp in Germany at a British Camp.

Michael Karaszkewycz michael@emeraldproperty.com.au