Comments on: The Wacol Migrant Hostel

By: Norbert H Henn

Norbert H Henn — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 02:06:34 +0000

My family arrived in Wacol about November/December of 1973. We stayed in one of those wood huts…it had 3 rooms. The front room doubled as a kitchen of sorts and as my parents bedroom. My sister had the middle room to herself, and my brother and I had the back room. After about 6 months, we moved to the “flats”, kind of a brick apartment complex that at the time I had the impression it was part of the hostel. I was 11 at the time. Got to know a German family ( Fritze’s) that had a boy my age Joachim, his sister Barbara,little brother Alexander, and an older brother Michael. We also met an older German couple (Kruger’s), but I dont think they were residents of the camp.

I enjoyed reading the older contributions here…brought back a lot of memories of going to the canteen for meals, going to the train station.

I started going to school at Goodna State School. After my parents were able to settle, they bought a house in Ipswich and I went to school at North Ipswich State School. Talk about culture shock…schools with uniforms, parade every morning, small breaks and the bigger lunch breaks. I had a bit of negative experiences in school. Seemed I was constantly bullied by the bigger students because I was the “Yank”…anyone have similar experiences like that?

My dad at the time was a diesel mechanic working for Volvo. I remember him also saying he was getting into fights because he came from America.

We eventually moved back to the United States in 1976…back to my home town of Olmsted Falls, Ohio

I read an older post from a David Brown who was at Wacol close to the time we were. He was looking to connect with other people from that period regarding school experiences. If anyway to connect with him, would love to swap “war stories”

By: Martin Woodward

Martin Woodward — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 07:14:02 +0000

Wow such a long time ago
Arrived as a 10yr old in Feb 1966
Came from Duffield in Derbyshire on the Fairsea with mum,dad and 4 siblings
Looking back we were treated badly by the Australians who worked in the canteen who obviously resented our so called free passage there.
Hated the place and the people including the teachers at Goodna school who were really cruel
Dad had to go to Sydney to get a job leaving mum to look after us
Luckily all changed when Dad contacted a bloke we met on the boat over who had transferred from Cadbury in the UK to their Claremont Tasmania factory
He got Dad a job at Cadbury and we joined him about 3 months later after he found a house for us all
What a difference, the locals we met made us feel welcome and we couldn’t believe how nice they were ( and still are)
60 years later all of us children still live here except the eldest who joined the Army ( 25 years service including Vietnam war) who married a mainland girl and lives now in Perth
We all have children and grandchildren and love the country we now call home

By: Elly Muller

Elly Muller — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:18:01 +0000

In reply to NeilEnnis. Ik was daar met ouders en broer en zusje ,1962 ik was 8 jaar , op school daar geweest , waar ik een Italiaanse vriendin kreeg , haar naam is Danielle, zo leerden qe beide engels, wij zaten in de houten barak naast de schommel.. ik kan me vrouw herinneren, in die metalen hut , meer naar het spoor toe , ze was zwanger en nederlander ,als ze voor het blikken huisje stond , zong ze voluit , het lied: Peter ik ben verliefd,! Wij zijn binnen het jaar weer terug naar Nederland gegaan , met de boot Aurelia , de heenreis ging met de Waterman. ,Mijn vader had verschrikkelijke heimwee, Toen we werden opgehaald met een grote auto , stonden er verschillende mensen ons uit te zwaaien met tranen in de ogen,,Ze wilden ook wel terug , maar hadden het geld er niet voor. , Ik heb het hele avontuur naar Australië, zeer indrukwekkend ervaren , behalve die school op het kamp, daar werd je met een stok op de vingers geslagen , Ik woon nu met man in Almere, Nederland, mijn vader is al 30 jaar geleden overleden , mijn moeder is nu 94 jaar.

By: Jane Simoni

Jane Simoni — Wed, 22 May 2024 20:06:20 +0000

Hello, hello,
A post on Facebook about the Kangaroo Point Hostel made me nostalgic so did a search on Wacol and came to this blog.
We arrived in Brisbane from Denmark 24th Dec,1969. Came straight to Wacol. My mum, stepfather, me (8yo) and my sister (7yo). We stayed in one the wooden buildings but must not have been too long as I don’t recall going to school whilst there. We moved to a house on the corner of Station Rd and the service road, Wacol. It was from there we attended Goodna SS, in the migrant class to start with as we knew very little English. Within a few months I was moved to grade 4 – I was 9 by then.
My memories at Wacol Hotel are few, but arriving on Christmas Eve and it was hot, was so strange! And the noise of the Cicadas in the surrounding trees took some getting used to.
I still live in Brisbane, parents have passed both passed on. I do get a twinge of nostalgia when I pass the old Hostel site and the house on Station Rd, until it was pulled down a few years back.
It was great reading all the posts 🙂

By: Steve. Smith

Steve. Smith — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 08:25:21 +0000

We came over on the Fairsky in October 1965. Wacol for about 3 months or so until we bought a house at 59 Queen St Goodna. We went to St Francis Xaviour School from 1966. Remember the nuns and Ms Buchanan. Dad built a concrete boat in the front yard. Then I went to IGS with my brother. Remember the camp.