Sold a lie
Unlike the displaced people, the Dutch assisted migrants felt they had been lured to Australia under false pretences. After the novelty of a luxury liner voyage, they found themselves houses in a bleak style of accommodation they had not expected.
Assisted Italian migrants expected to be placed in work on arrival. They hated the three months wait in temporary camp conditions due to an economic recession. This contributed to two riots at the centre in 1952 and 1961.
All skilled migrants, of all nationalities, arriving in the late 1950’s to 1960’s expected family-friendly accommodation and services to be available.
Bonegilla director, Major Kershaw, told the newspaper in 1949 that conditions were ‘not all that could be expected’ but with the large number to be houses it was just not possible to do any better.
Taxpayers were reassured about the thrift of the operations; accommodation was reasonable, plain food nutritious and plentiful, and neither luxury or squalor.