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Newspaper Cutting - Mai Maddisson, Framed, circa 1950s
Reg. No: HT 13
- Summary:
- Newspaper cutting about newly arrived migrant children learning English at Yarraville State School, circa 1950s. One of the children pictured in the article is Mai Maddisson. Born 29 July 1942 Mai arrived in Melbourne with her mother, Linda, on 20 October 1949, aged seven. They travelled on the MV Fair Sea. Estonian by birth Mai and her mother spent time in the Geislingen displaced persons' camp in Germany before migrating to Australia.
Following World War Two and the advance of the Soviet Army across the Baltic States and parts of Western Europe, many Estonians and other Baltic peoples left their homes, living in displaced persons camps in Germany before migrating to countries such as Australia, Canada and the USA. - Description:
- Newspaper cutting mounted on red background in a wooden frame.
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Ms Mai Maddisson, 2001
| Discipline: | History |
More information
| Tagged with: | immigration, migration settlement, migrant hostels, estonian communities, estonian immigration, migrant camps, migrant reception centres |
| Themes this item is part of: | Cultural Diversity Collection, Migration Collection |
| Primary Classification: | MIGRATION |
| Secondary Classification: | Accommodation - Hostels |
| Tertiary Classification: | media coverage |
| Inscriptions: | Text: FOR THE FIRST TIME New Australian children were placed in a special class, when youngsters from Maribyrnong camp started yesterday at Yarraville State School. There are more than 50 kiddies in the class. Above: Teacher is Miss Jeanne Kershaw, a migrant who arrived from England a year ago. Right: Mai Maddisson, from Estonia, became coy when asked a question during her first English lesson. Left: Young Albert Lubish, from Poland, tried valiantly to pronounce words in the new language. |
| Person Named: | Ms Mai Maddisson, Nunawading, Victoria, Australia, circa 1950s |
| Place Named: | Yarraville State School, Yarraville, Victoria, Australia, circa 1950s |
Themes
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Comments
What have I done since?
I have worked as a clinician and together with a playmate from the same refugee camp compiled a book called "When the Noise had Ended: Geislingen's DP children remember". It contains stories by 33 of us kids: they relate how that time looked through the eyes of young children. Interestingly we have traced the names on about 650 of the 1000 kids in our cohort 60 years later.
At present I am working at compiling 2 other books on that journey.