Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

Norm Faint · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:12 am Post subject: Lost friends and fond memories

Hi, thanks for sharing your photos. Many of that you have described were akin to Williamstown Hostel 1956, but I do know that there was an Altona Hostel, former friends were there that came over on the same boat 1954 S.S.Strathaird. Self and sister started 'growing up' at Williamstown. Our house was directly opposite the old Grandstand, from memory there was a small bridge crossing a small creek near the Grandstand our back yard had a sandy track to the beach. Dad was a Hostel Manager, often away on training courses or relieving. Picture night was 'kiss lessons' hahaha, taught by Joyce, practiced with Susan. Learnt photography, silver paper paintings and hair-cutting with Alan. Sorry surnames elude me as we lost diary's and photo's in Cyclone Tracy, Darwin 1974.
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1954, Cabramatta Hostel from England aboard S.S.Strathaird, followed by Matraville, Marybrinong, Broadmeadows, Williamstown, Heathcote Road and Bunnerong (various moves as dad was later in '54 engaged as a Hostel Manager.

aussietrekker · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:28 am Post subject:

Williamstown Hostel was renamed Altona hostel, it was the same place. Later on it became Wiltona Hostel.

larkcons · Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:12 am Post subject:

We came over from Scotland in the Strathnaver in 1956 and lived in the hostel untill 1959. There were several houses on the grandstand side of Koroit creek, which were purchased at auction and relocated elsewhere.
My father purchased one of these houses and put it on the back of a low loader and transported it to wilds of West Altona. ( No roads, power, water, sewerage, phones etc).
One of these houses is still there in Madstone Street but ours is long gone.
I have many memories of the trip over, the hostel, the smells, the canteen food and how cold it was in the Nissen huts on a bitumen floor.

Often visit this site and many names are familiar from St Mary's Altona, Altona High School etc
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Larkcons

aussietrekker · Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:59 am Post subject:

Fascinating! Was your house also in Maidstone Street and do you have any photos? When we arrived in 1964 there was only one Nissen hut, used as a recreation hall. We lived in rows of asbestos huts and not surprisingly, a sinister number of residentsdied prematurely, or came down with rare forms of cancer. Bitumen floors would have stank in the summer. Migrants wouldn't put up with that now.

Phyl · Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 4:19 am Post subject:

my goodness bituman floors? are you sure.I lived in hostels from 1954 to 1973 in different hostels but don't remember floors like that. Tell me more.
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Kind regards,
Phyl

Norm Faint · Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:01 am Post subject: Name changes & bitumine

Thanks Aussietrekker, once re-named to Altona, was the Hostel at Altona vacated towards 'progress' ?....Likewise Phyl, from the number of Hostels we lived at, none that I know of had bitumen floors, perhaps bitumised under the raised Nissens but then, dont remember that either, perhaps one meant, the vynal tiles with what appeared bitumised backings ?
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1954, Cabramatta Hostel from England aboard S.S.Strathaird, followed by Matraville, Marybrinong, Broadmeadows, Williamstown, Heathcote Road and Bunnerong (various moves as dad was later in '54 engaged as a Hostel Manager.

aussietrekker · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 6:33 am Post subject:

Don't know about progress, but by the time we got there in 1964, the accommodation was rows of asbestos huts and the only nissen hut was the rec room.

Susan Gillet · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:57 pm Post subject:

Wow, I had heard before that someone had said Williamstown/Altona hostel had Nissen huts. By 1963 that had changed, and I have to wonder why as it was the only hostel I know of that no longer had them. Brooklyn, Maribyrnong, Holmsglen, Nunnawading, Springvale and Preston all still had them. Not sure about Fisherman's Bend.
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Resident of Altona Hostel, 1963-1965

aussietrekker · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 1:23 am Post subject:

Wish we'd still had Nissen huts, those asbestos jobs may have been what caused an alarming incidence of cancer and premature deaths among our families. On the bright side, the walls were great sound conductors if you wanted to have a good laugh at the neighbours having a row!

Susan Gillet · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:24 am Post subject:

You could be right Judith, but I guess we'll never really know.

I was trying to remember all the hostels that were around Melbourne at that time, and could only remember 8, but today saw the name of the ninth, so the nine are:-
Altona, Broadmeadows, Brooklyn, Fishermen's Bend, Holmsglen, Maribyrnong, Nunawading, Preston and Springvale.

The only one's left still standing in some form are Altona and Maribyrnong.
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Resident of Altona Hostel, 1963-1965