welcome
Welcome to my website dedicated to the memory of the Benalla Migrant Camp and its past residents.
As a past resident of the camp, I am interested in sharing memories with all past migrants;
particularly those who were at the camp in 1961.
This website aims to be an online meeting place for migrants and past residents of the camp.
As a past resident of the camp, I am interested in sharing memories with all past migrants;
particularly those who were at the camp in 1961.
This website aims to be an online meeting place for migrants and past residents of the camp.
history of the camp
Benalla’s Migrant Accommodation Centre opened in June 1949.
In 1941 an air-training school was opened at Benalla Airport known as No 11 Elementary Flying School. During the post-war years, the former air-training site became a migrant holding camp and eventually became a housing commission estate. The migrant camp could hold as many as 800 people at any one time. When the camp closed in late 1967, it was estimated that 60,000 people, mainly from southern and eastern Europe, had spent time there. The old migrant camp is located just off Samaria Rd, behind Benalla Airport. |
This photo is from 1965 and is sourced from the National Archives of Australia.
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why create a website?
I have created this site due to the lack of information available online about the Benalla Migrant Camp. Hopefully, this site can bring together fellow past migrants and residents of the camp so they can make contact with each other and myself in a relaxed environment.
Contributions of stories and photos are welcome and will be displayed here, on this site.
My OTHER PROJECTS:
Collingwood Technical College: collingwoodtechnicalcollege.weebly.com
