Next year will mark the 70th anniversary since the first refugees arrived in Greta Migrant Camp after fleeing the horrors of World War II.
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This is the 70th anniversary of the first 600 displaced persons coming to Australia as a result of World War II.
- Janece McDonald
With wide eyes and weary bodies, the first 600 displaced persons arrived at the former Greta Army Camp in 1949 –and some have never left the area.
In commemoration of the migrant camp’s 70th anniversary, the Maitland Regional Museum will be curating an exhibition.
President Janece McDonald said the museum is asking for people’s personal stories or memorabilia from the Greta Migrant Camp.
“The museum is about telling stories, and there are some amazing stories around,” Dr McDonald said.
“This is the 70th anniversary, next June, of the first 600 displaced persons coming to Australia as a result of World War II.
“Many of those people and their descendants are still in this area, and we believe there are a lot stories of their hardships and achievements. They’ve influenced our country.
”They are part of Maitland’s heritage. These refugees have played such an important role in Australia and Maitland.”
Greta Migrant Camp was one of the biggest of its kind in Australia, taking in 100,000 refugees escaping war torn Europe after World War II.
It was operational from 1949 to 1961, and the refugees came originally from Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia and Baltic States.
Dr McDonald said the exhibition would remember the people who lived in the camp and their journeys to Australia.
“We’ve had several responses already,” Dr McDonald said.
“We are hoping to get letters and photographs. Any document as we want to know people’s story from before, during and after the migrant camp.
“We want to use these items to relate to the person’s story. From one object, you can tell an amazing story
“And while these items will only be on loan [from their owners], we will digitise them.”
The exhibition run for a month, and will be held in May 2019.
People interested in sharing a story or lending memorabilia can contact the museum via maitlandrmuseum@gmail.com or 4933 4450.