Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

[Marie13]

Did anyone stay in the Morwell Migrant Hostel either in the late 1940's (if it/they was/were open then) or any time til the mid 1950's?

I have been looking at any mention of hostels in Morwell, in newspaper reports (via TROVE) in this period. I have found several mentions, e.g. PM visits Morwell hostel; Morwell hostel project proposed by S.E.C., APEX give Morwell hostel migrants picnic.

However I am still quite confused about several aspects.
1. when in operation
2. where
3. what was the name/s
4. were there names changes
5. were the migrants just British or were they from different countries?

I have located the following names: Morwell Migrant Hostel, Morwell Bridge Hostel, The Ridge Hostel and Morwell Heights Hostel.

I am still working on this topic and hope there is someone who has more information that can help.!
_________________
Marie

[jacqui]

My family lived on the Yallourn Migrant Hostel from 1950 - 1953. It was later demolished to expand the open cut coal mine. I don't know if there was a hostel at Morwell, could this be you same one?
Jacqui

[Marie13]

Hi Jacqui, Thank you for your reply.
It is possible that the Dickson family stayed at the hostel at Yallourn, arriving in January/February 1951.
Do you have any photos from your family's stay at the Yallourn Hostel or any stories to relate?
I would be interested in learning of your family's experiences.
Marie
_________________
Marie

[jacqui]

Hi Marie,
My father, mother,2 older sisters and myself migrated from England in 1950.
I turned 6 the month after we arrived.

I don't have too many happy memories of the hostel - even though my 8 year old sister loved it!
We lived in Nissen huts, they were divided in half, with one family in each half.

I remember community toilets - I can't remember what the washing facilities were though. There was also a laundry area - the memory of that place is particularly bad as I was molested by 3 older boys there. I didn't
tell any adults as I was too scared and know a couple of other girls who it happened too as well.

We ate in a community canteen where we all ate, and I think adults sat apart from children.

There was a school and I remember a teacher named Mr. Beck. We had square dancing lessons, which is the only thing I can remember learning there!

Another incident I remember is a boy getting badly burnt - they used to play with flammable liquids by spitting them from their mouth and lighting them. My memory of how they did this is hazy, but I know the boy was burnt on his face.

My mother got a job in the canteen which was quite a coup as jobs on the camp were highly sought after. My father was a plumber and he worked in the town somewhere. There were a lot of Housing Commission houses being built and I think he worked on those.

My mother was quite a home maker and had our half Nissan hut decorated with all her favourite rugs and ornaments. Some of our things were damaged during the 6 week voyage out to Australia.
My father (quite illegally) rigged up a heater as the hutswere so cold in winter.
I have been told he made a few for other people as well.
At night we used to hear the family in the other half of the hut yelling to their children to "be quiet and go to sleep".

There was bush around the camp and I saw my first kangaroos there. One day a drover went past with a large herd of cattle, which was amazing for English children to see.

We stayed on the hostel for 2 years, then travelled by caravan to Adelaide.

I can remember being overwhelmed and scared by the size and strangeness of it all.

I will see if I can hunt out some photos. My mother lived until 2013, she was 99, and there are boxes of photos I can go through.

Regards,

Jacqui.

[al]