Destination Australia: Sharing post WWII migrant stories

The National Archives of Australia has recently launched a new website, called Destination Australia. The website aims to draw on the stories of the people and their family members featured in the photographs showcased on the site to create an in-depth history of Australia’s post-war immigration.

The featured photographs come from a promotional series of photographs taken by the Department of Immigration which are now stored as the Immigration Photographic Archive collection (Series A12111) hosted within the National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch database.

The series contains more than 25,000 photographs and over 21,000 of those are featured on this site. With nearly six million migrants to Australia since 1945 it would be challenging to try to identify everyone who might appear in the photographs, and to collect and share their stories. But with the help of all Australia, we are going to try.

This is your opportunity to share your immigration stories related to the photographs.

The site is continuing until at least 2015 and the information shared will become part of the Archives’ RecordSearch system as a permanent part of Australia’s history.

You are able to tag people who you know, tag where they came from and came to, add descriptions and comments, and comment on others’ contributions, or scan photographs to explore what Australia’s post-war immigration boom was really about.

 www.destinationaustralia.gov.au

D4878 Alien Registration series

Just when i thought i was close to having a pretty complete list of all Lithuanians who came to South Australia, I tried some different search techniques in the National Archives of Australia website. What I did find is a record series D4878, Alien registration documents, alphabetical series, dating from 01 Jan 1923 - 31 Dec 1967. The records were created by
Australian Customs Service, State Administration, South Australia, and Department of Immigration, South Australia Branch. It also showed me that I had missed quite a few names for my database.

The best part is all these records are digitised and can be viewed online for free. This records series should appear if you are doing a general name search. These records have a persons date of birth, place of birth, name changes, occupation, sometimes Immigration Centre housed in on arrival, children, ship name and arrival details.

Lithuanian ANZACS

Historian Elena Govor has published a book "Russian Anzacs in Australia History" UNSW Press, 2005

At the end of the nineteenth century the population living on the territory of modern day Lithuania was ethnically diverse. Included are names of servicemen who were most likely of Lithuanian ethnic origin. A few had ties to South Australia

Brenka, George Brente
John Brente Brenka
Born 1887
Place Vilkaviskis, Lithuania? or Volkovysk, Belarus? or Vilkomir (Ukmerge), Latvia?
Ethnic origin Lithuanian? Latvian? Czech?
Religion Roman Catholic
Mother Brenke, Agi
Arrived at Australia 1914 per Ajana
Residence before enlistment Shepperton's Sawmills, Gumeracha, SA
Occupation labourer
Service number 2809 enlisted 8.06.1915 POE Keswick, SA
unit 10th Battalion, 50th Battalion rank Private
place Gallipoli, 1915, Western Front, 1916 casualties WIA 1916 (twice)
final fate DOW 23.08.1916
cemetery 102 Bologne Eastern Cemetery, France
Naturalisation served as Russian subject

Jaks, William Frank
Born 15.04.1882 Place Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania Ethnic/cultural origin Russian? Lithuanian? Religion Roman Catholic
Residence before arrival at Australia left Russia ca. 1898, lived in England
Arrived at Australia from England? on 17.01.1914 per Heathfield
Residence before enlistment Qld, NSW, SA
Occupation 1916 carpenter, cabinet maker and French polisher
service number 2371 enlisted 10.04.1916 POE Adelaide
unit 5th Pioneer Battalion rank Private
place Western Front, 1917-1918 casualties WIA 1918
final fate RTA 15.01.1919 discharged 27.07.1919
Naturalisation served as Russian subject
Residence after the war 1932 Canberra
Died 16.03.1951, Westlake, Canberra
Members of D Company, 5th Australian Pioneer Battalion near Dranoutre, erecting sheds in Donegal Camp

Zygas, Stanley
Born 14.04.1886 Place Survilishkis (Surviliškis), Kaunas, Lithuania Ethnic origin Lithuanian Religion Roman Catholic
Father Zygas Victor
Residence prior to Australia left Lithuania in 1907, travelled to Germany overland, then to Buenos Aires, then to England and to Australia on vessels
Arrived at Australia from England on 12.1911 per Warrener disembarked at Port Adelaide, SA
Residence before enlistment Tasmania, Port Adelaide, Waikerie, SA
Occupation 1915 sailor, works as agricultural labourer, general handy man, 1917 fitter and turner
Service number 5103 enlisted 28.09.1917 POE Adelaide
unit 32nd Battalion, 50th Battalion rank Private
place Western Front, 1918-1919
final fate RTA 20.12.1919 discharged 5.03.1920
Naturalisation 1915
Residence after the war 1917; 1969 Rostrevor, SA
Wife Kathleen Zygas (née Green), married 1919 in England
Died 14.08.1975

You can look up their records on the National Archives site.

Immigration Records to Australia

Records of people who arrived under the Displaced Persons scheme 1947 to 1953 are held at the National Archives of Australia. Occupation by the USSR forced many people to flee Eastern Europe towards the end of WWII. Many ended up in Germany with smaller numbers settling in Italy, Australia and Holland. Unable to return home they awaited resettlement by the International refugee Organisation (IRO). Under the IRO scheme each person was required to complete two forms;

1. A screening card: this records the persons name, date of birth, sex, nationality, educational standards, fluency in languages, religion, dependants, employment in the past, suggested employment.
2. IRO Medical Examination Form: this included the person’s name, date of birth, colour of eyes, and hair, weight, height, name of camp allocation, place of birth, passport photograph, signature and medical questionnaire including x-ray negative.

This documentation has been preserved by the National Archives and is searchable under surnames under the keyword search. You are able to access the original records by visiting the reading rooms in Canberra or a digital copy can be requested for a fee. Once digitised the copies are loaded onto the website when anyone can then view them. For family history research this is a fantastic resource for family members who participated in the scheme.
www.naa.gov.au

Kerry Ward
The South Australian Genealogist February 2003, Vol.30, No.1

Alien invasion

Immigrants to Australia were officially referred to as Aliens. The Aliens Act of 1947 meant that all immigrants 16 years of age or older had to register and notify any change of name, address or occupation.

The registration process required aliens to submit a number of 'RA' (Registered Alien) documents. The range of forms to be completed included the following.

RA Information from Aliens over Sixteen Entering the Commonwealth
RA1 Application for Registration Form
RA2 Application for Registration by Alien Entering Australia
RA3 Notice of Change of Occupation or Employment
RA4 Notification of Departure from Australia
RA5 Notice of Change of Residence
RA6 Notification of Marriage
RA7 Notification of Naturalisation
RA9 Application for Issue of New Certificate

The most commonly used form was the Application for Registration by Alien Entering Australia (Form RA2), which in practice appears to have been issued for both resident aliens and aliens leaving the Commonwealth. The RA2 form varied slightly in format over time but recorded the same details about aliens entering Australia. These details included name, address, nationality, date and place of birth, occupation, place and dates of birth of spouse and children, name of ship or aircraft registration, date and place of arrival in Australia. A passport-sized photograph of the applicant was attached to the majority of forms.

You can now access these types of documents from the National Archives.