Camp Life

Table of Contents

Bonegilla operated like a small multi-cultural village. At its peak in 1950, it housed 7,700 people in huts and 1,600 in tents. It was a multi-cultural town in a rural environment.

Centre facilities included housing, laundry, kitchens, bathrooms, hospital, movie theatre, churches, a library, crèche, kindergarten, primary school, canteen, butcher, barber, hairdresser, banks, a brothel, cafe, police station, YMCA, and other sports facilities.

There were dances, concerts, plays, processions, regular movie screenings, festivals, anniversaries, birthdays, name days, weddings, christenings, and confirmation ceremonies.

There was a central administrative area and store which issued linen, bedding, and utensils. These items had to be returned when migrants left - any lost items had to be paid for.

English classes were provided, for those who wanted to attend, as were a range of recreational activities to encourage socialisation and language skills.

While there was much on offer, the main preoccupation of migrants was to get a job and get on with their lives.

Quotes

The Bonegilla football team had a Greek goal keeper. There were also Austrian, German, Italian, and Yugoslav players.

- Alex Lyras, Greece, 1956

My father was caretaker of the cinema. The sound of ‘God Save the Queen’ was my cue to race up the ladder and switch off the stage lights. Sometimes I was a little tardy and would be greeted by the deafening sound of five hundred people stomping and clapping and finally cheering when I flicked the switch.

- Ute Bierbaumer, Austria, 1957.

The only word I knew on arrival was ‘help’.

- Irma (Savolainen) Turner, Finland, 1963.

In the class there were students from over ten different nations and no one could speak English – let alone Australian. Of course they all learned a bit of each other’s languages – all the swear words first.

- Menna S, Age 10, Finland, 1958.

Stories

Poems

Map