Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

Brian Murray · New Member Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 5 Location: Sydney

My family arrived around April/May 1970 after a 4 week trip on the SS Oriana. To me that was a huge adventure for a little Scots kid from a farm outside Arbroath. I think we stopped at Las Palmas, Capetown, Durban, Fremantle and Sydney. Waking up and seeing the harbour bridge was a dream. Then the long bus ride to Wollongong. It seemed like it was never gonna end. Probably took 1 1/2 hours. I remember stopping at the top of Bulli Pass. The view was just incredible....then we got to the hostel..and we went wot the f***?. It probably wasnt too bad i'm sure my parents weren't too happy. i remember the creek behind the hostel..always fun down there mucking around.

i remember the "rec". and friday nights fish and chips. we only stayed on the hostel 3 mths and went to live in a house that was probably worse in murranar road. it had the dry dunny....i just couldn't use it. i remember running down to use the public toilet at the beach for a long while until i was caught short one day. mum wanted to go home but we had to stay for 2 yrs or pay back the fare and we had no money. my dad David worked in the steelworks.

i went to towradgi ps and then corrimal high. moved around NSW but live in sydney now. my family still lives in Illawarra area.
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BrianM

Len · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject:

Hi Brian, welcome to our forums.

Smile

GinaKate · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:21 pm Post subject:

Brian initially posted in 'my dad's a skip' if that is of any help.

GinaKate · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:41 pm Post subject:

Brian, I think we all had that same reaction when our living quarters were presented to us. We arrived at East Hills to an almost bare room with a row of louvered windows around the top. I was horrified. We were given a knife, fork, tablespoon, teaspoon, and a white mug, as well as a towel and a toilet roll. I thought my life was over even before it had begun. But isn't it amazing how quickly we adapted and were happy with so few possessions.

Brian Murray · New Member Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 5 Location: Sydney

no worries Len.

we were in fairy meadow hostel btw
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BrianM

Brian Murray · New Member Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 5 Location: Sydney

ginakate,

ur soo right about getting used to it quickly but then i was a kid and even in Scotland we moved every 6--12 months. so we never stayed anyplace too long. but i got the impression my mum hated it and wanted to back home fairly. obviously we didn't go.
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BrianM

JoopMul · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:09 am Post subject:

Can't say we were ever happy in any of the four hostels. At first planning to sit out the two years, there, until we had a holiday, in tents, on a 10 acre block, at Leppington, and spent a few days, outside of the hostel. That convinced my parents and the van Hoorns, to buy the old house together, and stay.
In 1962 I made it just into Wollongong Teachers College, which, then used part of the Technical High School, North Wollongong.
Boarded first in Fairy Meadow, with Dutch people. Too crowded. Then another place, nearby, briefly and then, thank goodness with Mrs Ryan, in East Corrimal.

First practice-teaching session, in 1961, was in the Corrimal Public School. Later, another session in the Fairy Meadow Demonstration School. So now I'm wondering where the hostel was. Or did that come later?

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