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David worboys · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:40 am Post subject: M.V. Strathnaver

I came to Australia aboard the Motor vessel "Strathnaver" arriving in September 1954, I was 15years of age. My name was David Joseph Draper and I was actually born, David Joseph Worboys. On arrival at Melbourne I and my two brothers by my biological father Albert Edward Worboys and my half sister and two half brothers by my stepfather Alfred (Dai) Draper, were put onto the Spirit of Progress, the then interstate rail service train,with numerous other migrant passengers and began our journey to Sydney NSW.On arrival in Sydney we were then transhipped down the South Coast of NSW to Balgownie railway station. During the journey my mother contracted pneumonia and my stepfather was bandaged to the armpits suffering from dermatititis, contracted on the voyage. We had no money and were assisted from the station by Clive Mogford a junior station assistant who I later became a work buddy of. I sold my plastic camera for two pounds Australian to get my mother some medicine and then looked for work which led me to the NSW Railways Head Office in Sydney and a full day of testing which gave me a job on the Balgownie(as it was known then)railway station.
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worbo

aussietrekker · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:21 am Post subject:

Imagine today's migrants putting up with that sort of genuine hardship..."CHILD FORCED TO SELL CAMERA TO BUY MEDICINE FOR MOTHER" would be on the front page of the tabloids, and lawyers would be forming a queue for the chance to sue someone on your behalf for ailments contracted on the ship!