Sharing the Lode: The Reasons

Carlo Forner, World War 1

The Reasons

Our lands were ravaged by war. Our people were politically oppressed. There was no work; we were often without food and clothing. There was no future for us or for our children. We left our homeland in search of a better life.

Ten of us left school together; a few decided to go to Australia and we were like sheep; we followed one another.
Paul Sultana

My father was fighting at Gallipoli. When he was wounded he was looked after by the Australians. He got so attached to these people - "I want to go to Australia!". We looked around and said "Well, where is this Australia?" We didn't know where, but we came anyway.
Igor Caplygin

"We should go to the New World" she said to her husband Jacob, "so we too can make lots of money and raise our children in better conditions than we have here!"
Ramon Ware

Carlo had migrated to Australia in 1956. He was only twenty years old when he left Italy and like all young men, he thought he would be in Australia for only a short time, make a lot of money and return home to Italy but life is not like that.
Filomena Tormena

I said to myself, "What am I going to do here? There is no future for myself; no future for my family. I am going". I didn't like leaving my home town but that is what I did - for a better life.
Luigi Zanette

The Slav men that came to Australia returned to Blato and picked a wife and they always picked the best. The ones that were not chosen at that time believed they were very lucky if they eventually came to Australia.
Kata Andrich

My father told me he was willing to allow me to go to Australia as he had first cousins here in Australia that would sponsor me, so I told him I was ready to migrate.
John De Franceschi

My two brothers, Marin and Slavka, and I left Makarska and the beautiful Adriatic Coast of Yugoslavia in 1932 to join our father Joe in Broken Hill. He had migrated to Australia in 1924 and was working on the Line of Lode.
Rudolph Alagich

Mum had been to Australia. She came back to South Africa and talked about the freedom. There was this awareness that people actually lived without these sort of restrictions and cruelties that were such a part of our lives.
Adelaide De Main

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I spent two and a half years in a displaced persons camp in Italy. There was nothing at home. - Rose Cetinich

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Emanuel Pedergnana was eighteen years old when he emigrated from Italy in 1901. I believe he came out to better himself and get away from the turmoil that was in Europe before the beginning of the First World War. - Reginald (Reg) Pedergnana