Page 3

The trip to Bonegilla  was

long

The trip to Bonegilla  was long( it took 8 hours in the train) and most uncomfortable, but it was very interesting. In Wodonga , a small town on the Victorian and New South Wales border we boarded a bus , which took us to the camp at Bonegilla. 

Bonegilla was and still is an Army Barracks and a large section of it was made to accommodate Migrants to Australia. The accommodation here was very primitive, even in those times, but we had to make the best of this situation. I could only feel  pity for the families with small children because it was very hard to lead a normal life here at the camp. The accommodation for us bachelors was a small room with 2 beds and 2 cupboards. I would like to mention here that the food was good and plentiful. 

Our first home in Bonegilla (I sit on the left) July 1961

The nights were bitterly cold because it was the middle of Winter. But during the day it was quite comfortably warm. In the distance we could see the snow covered mountains. It took me about a week until I was reasonably acclimatised.  

It was now over 3 months since I had left my job in Cologne. So it was time for me to look for work.  But with little work available in the countryside  we had to wait until the management of the camp found work for us. Some people had been waiting for over 18 months. That was too long for me to wait and after long discussions with 3 of the friends I had made on board ship we decided, without notifying the management, to leave for  Sydney. The next day we bought our train ticket and on the following Sunday night the train left  from  Albury Railway Station. Albury is situated on the border of New South Wales and Victoria.  

Fourteen hours later we arrived in Sydney. The town with which I had been fascinated since early childhood. First we bought a local newspaper to look for accommodation.  We were surprised with the number of places offering accommodation and we decided on a boarding house in Glebe, a suburb almost in the inner city . After a 10 minute taxi ride we arrived at the boarding house and knocked on the door. A young woman opened the door and asked us what she could do for us. With our little English we tried to make her understand that we wanted board and lodgings. To our big surprise she answered us in German.  We couldn't believe our luck that we had accidentally found a boarding house run by a German couple. 

The cost of the accommodation was 6 Guineas a week .  There were another 12 guests staying at the Boarding House. All young German people who were more or less just like me, here in Australia for an adventure.  They were very helpful to us. For 2 weeks we walked through Sydney and the surrounding suburbs. We saw a lot of sights  which tourists usually see when they visit Sydney. 

Sydney 1961. Photograph from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon. 

  Now it was time to look for work. What I would like to mention here is that I was not disappointed in Sydney and what I saw there. For me , Sydney was and still is one of the most beautiful if not the most beautiful city in the world. I, myself, lived there for 22 years.  

Sydney today

Sadly I could not take a job as a plumber because, in Australia, you needed a 5 year Apprenticeship and I had only had 3 years Apprenticeship and 6 months as a plumber. I was offered an extension of my apprenticeship but because of the low wages for apprentices, at that time, I could not accept the offer as I had to earn enough money to pay the board. A few days later I applied for a job as a refrigerator repairer and to my surprise out of 30 applicants I was the one chosen for the job. I must admit that I had no knowledge of refrigerators but with much help from my workmates I very quickly became an  expert in this field.  
The wages in Australia at that time were about twice as much as the wages in Germany, and the cost of living was quite reasonable. So after 4 to 5 months work and lots of "overtime" I had enough money to buy a Landrover.  It had always been   my wish to "go bush" .To  enjoy  the bush by  hunting for kangaroos , and  later when I had enough money ,   dig for Black Opals in Lightning Ridge .   Lightning-Ridge is the only place in the world where you can find black opals. 

          1961 in Sydney before our  Safari

                We were already able to go Kangaroo hunting on our next Christmas Holiday.  Most companies closed down for 3 weeks over the Christmas period.  Now we had to prepare for our 3 weeks safari and it was only 2 weeks before Christmas. We needed rifles, munitions, a tent, food, etc, etc...For us it was the beginning of an exciting and unforgettable time. 

Sydney from the Air

Pictures of Australa

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