Now that we’re halfway through the second series of this very good BBC series that captures an interesting period of British and Australian history, I was wondering who has family (or friends) who took up the offer.
My aunt and her husband (RIP Charlie) ended up in South Australia. My mother also has a friend who went to Queenland near Brisbane. In 1994 I visited the latter for lunch, and stayed with my aunt (and large family) in Port Lincoln for a week in 1995, during a year in Australia. I also stayed a few weeks in 1995 in the empty house of another friend of my Mum’s who emigrated to New Zealand in the assisted immigration scheme.
Who else has family that were Ten Pound Poms? Any interesting stories to tell?
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https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/for-decades-i-believed-my-parents-were-dead/30556619.html
He told stories about taking families out from Tilbury only to bring them home on the next return journey.
As @jimmymelrose said our aunt and uncle went out with their three eldest kids, had another out there and now there are about 406 Varney's in the Port Lincoln area !!
My mum and dad were considering going but, as a young married couple with 3 kids under 10, decided it was too big a risk.
At least one family came back. They loved it there but missed the UK more.
Others, must be second or third generation now, are still there.
A few days before going, Dad backed out - couldn’t face leaving England - their friends did go, and made themselves a life in Australia - husband even served in Aussie Navy
So pleased they didn’t go - I’m born June 1970 - I could have been a bloody Aussie 🤮
A friend of my mother and her family also emigrated as ten pound poms in the very early sixties but left their tiny baby behind in England (which I could never understand as a small child at the time). I later found out he was diagnosed as a mongol (the terminology of the time) and passed away just a few years later because of his weak heart so perhaps it was considered that he would be unable to survive the journey.
My dad roughly the same time actually went down to Australia house when he was 16 but they wouldn't have him.
We came back in under a year, one of my uncles and his family came back later on, one of my cousins was coming upto 20 and there was a partial draft for Vietnam at that age, one lottery you didn't want to win. The only immigrants included in this were from Britain, I know they've still got the hump about bodyline, but come on.
My other Aunt and Uncle settled and lived well into their 90's, they came back a few times intending to stay but didn't - I remember going to see them in a house they rented in Essex, the next communication was a postcard from Sydney with a three word message on it - "Too bloody cold!"
I came home in 1972 after the two year stipulation was up. Mum and Dad loved it and stayed. They certainly were better off, even being able to afford buying their own home. They couldn’t afford to in Britain.
My brother is still out there in Sydney.
I’ve been back out there about five times and it’s certainly come up in the world, sometimes wonder how things might have turned out had I stayed.
But the thing is, when i landed there in 82 Sydney at least seemed like a very advanced and sophisticated city, up to European standards for sure, and with many natural advantages. Looking back now, 1968 to 1982, that's not a long time and it must have made tremendous strides in that time. My buddy and his wife went back there permanently and are now Oz citizens. He was over in London last year, and has no regrets about his move. But I felt pangs of homesickness at times during my 3 weeks there, so I don't regret not going either.