Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

Casper · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:28 pm Post subject: Villawood hostel 1965/66

Hi Len and everyone. Very nice website! My name is Ron Witte and we (family) arrived in 1965 (aged 16) and left the hostel in 1966. My first job ever was grass-cutter, cutting the hostel grass between the huts.
I used to hangout in the hostel canteen a lot. There was a jukebox and one or two pinball machines. I also played guitar (washroom etc.) with my Australian mate Charlie. Charlie lived on the Miller Road just outside the hostel. I had a great time in Good Old Villawood hostel. We migrated back to Holland in 1967.
There were a lot of teenagers in the hostel and I'd love to hear from anyone who was a teenager in the period (65/66).

Phyl · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:38 am Post subject:

Ron, I hope someone remembers you and makes contact.Great site Len has given us.
_________________
Kind regards,
Phyl

Casper · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:33 am Post subject:

Hi Phyl, I agree, it�s a great site thanks to Len! It�s nice reading other hostel stories. It brings back many memories. Especially of those first days being in foreign country which took a little to get used to in those days. I saw something about the Easybeats and that triggered me to join this site. The Easy's had left Villawood hostel just before I arrived :-( ! They are still one of my favorite bands!
Regards,
Ron

Phyl · Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 3:35 am Post subject:

Glad you enjoy the site and I also read about the Easy's though I didn't know them.
We were at Villawood for a short while in 1955 ,it was where I saw my first blue tongue lizard.Beautiful creature, though it scared the living daylights out of me that first time I saw it.We also had about 18 months at Villawood August 1971 to April 1973 when my late husband left the company and we returned to NZ. Smile

_________________
Kind regards,
Phyl

Myriam · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:34 am Post subject: Villawood hostel

Hello,
This is a wonderful group, it brings back so much memories! Thanks Len for creating it.
My parents left Belgium in March or April 1960 and we spent some time in Bonegilla, a few years in Scheyville and nearly 2 years in Villawood (64 - end 65). So I do have some records from that time in Villawood, pictures and films and would be glad to share them. My parents returned to Belgium in 66 on the SS Australis and I was heartbroken cry

when we came back here and the only goal I had for years was to go back to Australia... when I finished my studies, I went to the Australian Embassy to go back but there was a quite long waiting list at that time so I went to South America for some time...and never went back to Australia.
Have a nice day and sorry for my poor english.
Myriam

Myriam · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:53 am Post subject: to Casper

Hello Ron,
maybe you were one of my neighbours! I was at Villawood at that time but a bit younger than you were (aged 10) but I remember very well about the boys who used to play music in the washrooms in the evening. Loud music that my mother didn't appreciate at all - I was very curious and I remember I was always hanging around although I wasn't allowed... wonderful times.
Smile

Myriam

Casper · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:29 am Post subject: Re: to Casper

Hollander · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:47 am Post subject:

Hello Ron,

I wonder if you might be related to Bart Witte (I'm pretty sure that was his surname). Bart's family and mine arrived in Australia in November 1964 on the MS Aurelia. Both our families initially went to Scheyville Hostel but then we moved to East Hills and I lost touch with Bart and his family. Scheyville was in the middle of nowhere and everyday, Bart and I would go exploring. We roamed the backroads for miles. Nice memories.

Cheers,
Ed

Casper · Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:36 am Post subject:

Hello Ed,
I have checked with my family Witte if they know anybody who migrated to Australia in 1964. No one can recall that they do. Therefore we can�t help you finding old Dutch mate Bart. We do have a Bart Witte in the family but, he is 26 years old and he and his parents have never been in Australia. It would be very nice if you find Bart again. I found my old Australian guitar mate Charlie after 25 years. A couple of years ago he did a Europe tour and visited Holland. We met in his hotel and in about 5 minutes we were talking as if the 25 years in between had never existed. Really fantastic Smile

! Last year he spent a 2 week holiday over here and we great time playing guitars etc etc. Ed I really hope that you find Bart, don�t give up mate!
Cheers,
Ron

Hollander · Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:01 am Post subject:

Thanks Ron,

We were both 15 back then in 1964. Having come from Amsterdam, we felt like explorers in Scheyville, bushland as far as the eye could see. It took around 2 hours by public transport to get to the City: by bus to Windsor, another bus to Riverstone or Richmond, then on an ancient steam train (straight out of a wild west movie) to Blacktown and finally an electric train to Sydney. By comparison, two hours on the train from Amsterdam and you're in Germany! So, yes, we thought we were in the outback in Scheyville:-)

Thanks again,
Ed