Picking pears for Australia

The first transport of Lithuanians to Australia, made their way to Bonegilla Migrant Camp.  The new migrants were required to work two years wherever the Australian government required workers.  One hundred Baltic migrants from the first transport were employed as fruit pickers in the Shepparton district between January and March 1948.  The District Employment arranged for the migrants to assist in the fruit harvesting subject to certain conditions, including that they be employed in batches of at least five and that satisfactory board and accommodation must be provided by the growers.  The Goulburn Valley had only a small available quantity of labour which would have been totally inadequate to harvest the crop, which could lose thousands of pounds worth of fruit.  Most of the migrants whose average age is 24 years, were employed in the Ardmona district for the harvesting of fresh fruit, canning fruit, and dried fruits.

On Wednesday, 10 December 1947, 193 Baltic migrants arrived by special buses from the Bonegilla Migrant Camp.  The Australian farmers agreed that migrants an excellent type of migrant and are well satisfied with the selection. The migrants have been distributed among 30 orchards in the Shepparton and Ardmona district.  At the end of the season, they will be free to accept employment as permanent orchard hands if they so desire. There were some instances of difficulties involving the new migrants, such as intoxication but on the whole they worked well.

Sixteen recently arrived Baltic migrants, including five married couples, have taken up permanent residence in the Goulburn Valley.  Six women have commenced employment at Mooroopna hospital as wards maids and pantry maids while the 12 men are being employed on orchards, chiefly at Ardmona.  Another 12 men are shortly expected to take up orchard work in the district.

Not all orchard owners were being fair to the new migrants.  Some workers in the Shepparton district are kept in isolated groups and are working a 48-hour week for the same pay as Australians receive for a 40-hour week.  Some of the Balts threw in their jobs and returned to Bonegilla. One proposal by CSR monopoly was to alter buildings at its Yarraville works to house workers employed on a two years' contract.  Discussion at the Building Trades Federation agreed it would not build hostels for their segregation. Housing material would be better used housing Australians already suffering an acute shortage of homes.