MIDDLES in the SPOTLIGHT
Inquiry in Middles: Listening to Immigration Stories
This term we invited some of our wonderful Middles parents in to tell their personal stories of immigration to Australia. Our first visitor was Freya’s Mum, Aruna. We learned:
- Aruna immigrated here in the 70s from Malaysia
- Aruna’s parents are from Malaysia and Sri Lanka
- They travelled here on a boat that took 6 weeks
- They applied for three different countries - Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Australia was the first to accept them.
Ben’s Oma Sonja also spoke to us about the journey from Holland. She brought in some photos of the departure by boat as well as wooden clogs and wooden ice skates! We learned:
- Sonja travelled from Holland in 1955 with her parents and four brothers
- The boat took 4 weeks
- Sonja and her family settled in Perth before moving to Melbourne
- Wooden clogs were used on farms in Holland, and wooden ice skates that attached to your shoes were used to skate on rivers and ponds
Below are some photos and objects that Sonja brought in. Clogs and ice skates, a pre-departure photo and a permit for family to wave goodbye on the wharf!
Don’t forget! We would love you to come along to our Inquiry Expo where we will be showcasing some of our learning.