Australians from across the country will go back to Bonegilla next month to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the opening of the migrant centre that changed Australia.
Only a few generations since the first arrivals reached the Bonegilla migrant camp, about one in 20 Australians can now claim connection to the site, which was a temporary home for some 320,000 people between 1947 and 1971.
A week of activities to mark the milestone will be held from November 21 to November 28, with a highlight to be the official opening of the Bonegilla ID card exhibition.
Other activities will include guided tours of the site, the premiere screening of Bonegilla Stories – short films telling the stories of five former residents – as well as historical presentations, music performances and a lunch for those connected to the site.
Historian Dr Bruce Pennay of Charles Sturt University says the 75th anniversary will be important to preserve and commemorate the site’s history, not only for those who were there, but also their children and grandchildren.
“I think 75 is an interesting anniversary to celebrate because this is the time that things are fading from living memory and this is probably the last major anniversary event in which we can call on those who were actually there to tell us what it was like to arrive here,” he said.
“The story of Australia as a migrant nation has moved on from the influx of the mass post-war migration schemes and we have taken in people from a wide variety of lands. New arrivals now as well as then have had a variety of migrant experiences.
“We hope by sharing their stories to try to understand more of what it was like moving from one country to another.
While there are countless success stories of families who began their Australian adventure at Bonegilla, many others found it immensely challenging.
There were people who felt they had a successful migration experience and have great sense of personal achievement but many others remember the difficulties migration brought to them and their families.
“Some were unsure that the decision to migrate was a wise one and left Australia,” Dr Pennay said.
“The children of others remember their parents dwelling on the challenges they faced. Migration was a bittersweet experience and a lot of people remember the bitterness more than the sweetness.”
Dr Pennay said the 75th anniversary was a good time to recall what migration has meant to the nation and, importantly, what it meant to the people who migrated.
The commemorations on-site will begin with the launch of the ID Card exhibition at 10.15 am on November 21, with the final activity to be a bus tour on Monday, November 28.
Some events are free and others will be ticketed. See the program for details.
(Image credit: NAA)
