Stop 1: Bonegilla Migrant Experience
19 December 2014 to 25 January 2015
Bonegilla Migrant Experience
82 Bonegilla Rd, Bonegilla, VIC 3691
Phone: (02) 6020 6912 www.bonegilla.org.au
Proudly sponsored by Henkell Brothers Australia and the Victorian Multicultural Commission
Bonegilla Migrant Experience
82 Bonegilla Rd, Bonegilla, VIC 3691
Phone: (02) 6020 6912 www.bonegilla.org.au
Proudly sponsored by Henkell Brothers Australia and the Victorian Multicultural Commission
Bye bye Bonegilla... and thank you
A guestbook travels with our exhibition - and we were delighted to find such lovely comments from visitors to the Bonegilla exhibition. Be sure to sign it yourself when you visit us at one of our next stops!
Exhibition launch 19 December 2014
The exhibition was successfully launched on 19 December 2014 at Bonegilla Migrant Experience.
Linde Mohr, President of the AGWS, opened proceedings with an introduction to the Australian-German Welfare Society and its role in the life of the early migrants and German migrants today. The Honorary German Consul, Michael Pearce, who kindly agreed to open the exhibition, did so with his usual flair and praised the cultural diversity which the many thousands of post war migrants had brought with them. Sabine Nielsen explained the ideas and the lead-up to the exhibition and paid tribute to Eva Maria Rugel, the photographer and all those who helped behind the scenes. Finally, Dr Kristian Ireland described his grand-parents arrival at Bonegilla. After the launch there was plenty of opportunity to mingle, to view the exhibits, to share impressions with Adrian Plitzco from German SBS radio and to stroll off to soak up the atmosphere of Block 19 .
Thank you toChristine Thorpe, Coordinator Bonegilla Migrant Experience and her team Christine Thorpe, Bonegilla Migrant Experience Coordinator, and her team for the excellent cooperation in organising the launch; and to Jens Mohr, Treasurer, Australian German Welfare SocietyThank you also to Master of Ceremonies Jens Mohr, Treasurer Australian German Welfare Society, for taking on the role of Master of Ceremonies.
Re-live the morning with exhibition coordinator and book author Sabine Nielsen's blog post.
Linde Mohr, President of the AGWS, opened proceedings with an introduction to the Australian-German Welfare Society and its role in the life of the early migrants and German migrants today. The Honorary German Consul, Michael Pearce, who kindly agreed to open the exhibition, did so with his usual flair and praised the cultural diversity which the many thousands of post war migrants had brought with them. Sabine Nielsen explained the ideas and the lead-up to the exhibition and paid tribute to Eva Maria Rugel, the photographer and all those who helped behind the scenes. Finally, Dr Kristian Ireland described his grand-parents arrival at Bonegilla. After the launch there was plenty of opportunity to mingle, to view the exhibits, to share impressions with Adrian Plitzco from German SBS radio and to stroll off to soak up the atmosphere of Block 19 .
Thank you toChristine Thorpe, Coordinator Bonegilla Migrant Experience and her team Christine Thorpe, Bonegilla Migrant Experience Coordinator, and her team for the excellent cooperation in organising the launch; and to Jens Mohr, Treasurer, Australian German Welfare SocietyThank you also to Master of Ceremonies Jens Mohr, Treasurer Australian German Welfare Society, for taking on the role of Master of Ceremonies.
Re-live the morning with exhibition coordinator and book author Sabine Nielsen's blog post.
Copyright © 2012 Verve Portraits
The evening before the launch, Dr Kristian Ireland gave a fascinating presentation on the life story his maternal grandparents. Both from the former Soviet Union, they migrated to Melbourne, following the Second World War. His grandmother was a Ostarbeiter – forced labourer in Germany from 1942–1945, his grandfather a Prisoner of War. From 1945–1948, they lived near Hamburg as 'displaced persons'. In early 1949, they travelled to Naples, Italy, and departed for Australia on a refugee ship, eventually arriving in Bonegilla. Kristian’s talk, accompanied by historical photos, is well-delivered and very interesting. It is a fascinating chapter of Russian-German history that has come to historians’ attention mostly in the last ten years. More info at http://ostarbeiter.wordpress.com/
The presentation was followed by a sumptuous dinner at La Maison Café, Wodonga. Thank you again to Wassim for a memorable evening. www.lamaisoncafe.com.au
The presentation was followed by a sumptuous dinner at La Maison Café, Wodonga. Thank you again to Wassim for a memorable evening. www.lamaisoncafe.com.au
