Mike Smith: “It’s never too late...” Former child migrant Michael Smith says it’s never too late to learn more about who you are and where you come from. Mike writes: “My journey started when I was born in September 1945 in a London hospital. My actual birth father was an Irish Marine stationed in the UK during the second world war. “My mother must have been a devoted Catholic as she had me baptised within a month of my birth. My stepfather – my mother’s husband – then arrived on the scene after serving overseas for three and a half years with the Navy. What made it difficult for mum to keep me was the arrival of twins 18 months after my birth. The early years after the war were tough and it was not possible for mum to feed and accommodate three babies under two years of age. Many attempts were made to have me adopted but to no avail. Some of this information only came to light recently, thanks to Natalie at Tuart Place. My initial reason for asking for assistance last year was to trace my baptismal certificate as I believed it would provide more of my early history of where I was in the UK, and who else witnessed this occasion. As It turned out it was one of my aunties. This was one of many documents that has turned up with Natalie’s help.
I’d also like to thank Irena Lyczkowska at Pathways in London for arranging to copy and post over a large collection of documents, despite the problem of COVID restrictions in the UK. Although the letters to and from my mother clearly showed that I was to stay in the UK, I was sent to Western Australia as a child migrant in August 1954. I initially arrived at Castledare, until 1957, and spent the remaining five years at CBAS Tardun, till the end of 1961. I originally wrote to the UK seeking records in 1960 with the help of one of the Brothers at Tardun, but I never did receive a reply to this letter. I am not complaining about coming to Australia, as I now believe I have had better opportunities in this country. However, I should have been able to access to my personal documents much earlier, so I would have known the answers to many of the questions I have had all my life.”
Historical Photos Collection: Thank you Joe Borg
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At Tardun in 1958: Mike is seated in front Joseph John Borg is a former child migrant from Malta who was sent to Australia in 1953, aged 12, and lived at Bindoon for five years. Cevrina and Pip were delighted to welcome Joe on his first ever visit to Tuart Place in March this year.
Joe called in to say hi and to contribute photos of a reunion at Bindoon in the early 1990s. This photo was taken at the old watertank, which was the first building project at Bindoon for which the boys provided labour. Thank you Joe, we greatly appreciate these new additions to our Historical Photos Collection.
