Genealogy Chat

Angie, You didn't have to stay in Hostels under the Assisted Passage Scheme. You could stay wherever you wanted if you could afford it. Most Hostels were pretty grim places, except for the ones that Australia House showed you pictures of. Our family rented a house in Sydney when we first came to Sydney in 1966 as we knew from friends what the Hostels were really like. As a 15 year old at the time, the 4 week trip out by ship was one of the best times of my life. Captain's Cocktail parties, gourmet food and exotic places to visit on the way.

Thanks for the website Jean I was suppose to go over on assisted passage with my aunt and her family in 1956, but my mother changed her mind a week before we were due to go. I have just found their passage on the website you gave........brilliant. Thanks again Jean

Thanks Steve, it's just a joke we get a bit tired of. My family think I'm daft because I'm the one who wants to spend time in England. My brother also went over for a visit and loved it. Got to wonder what my grandparents are thinking now since they were the ones who left with their kids and now their grandkids are heading back. LOL Gypsyjoe

Gypsy Joe Foley, Well I'm sorry if my comment offended you as it was meant tong in cheek, at least Di Me saw the funny side. But the fact remains Australia started as a convict colony which was the point I was referring to. I too have relatives who were deported err I mean £10 pound poms who I have discovered through this site.

Di No, it wasnt that hard to save a tenner - but it would have been very hard to save the full fare! Considering the wage of the average working man was something like £5 per week in the 1950s, even a tenner was a lot - each! Australia WAS vastly underpopulated and had a chronic shortage of skills too. They didnt want convicted criminals - well, who would? (Only Britain in 2006, but that's another thread) Olde Crone

My husband and I came out here in Jan. 1974, we were told that we were among the last of the $10 poms. Our 4 younger children came free but the two eldest had to also pay $10. Under the scheme there were different catergories, We came to Queensland and were sponserd under a scheme by the Qld.Govt. as my husband had a trade needed at that time. Under the scheme we went into a hostel but were guranteed a Housing Commission house (Council house in UK) within 2 wks of arriving. Othere came under a different scheme and were housed at a different hostel and in some cases had to wait for a much longer time before being housed, although you could find your own accommodation. If you returned to the UK within the first two years you had to refund your full fare, although I believe many managed to avoid this..

Just like to add another point about the 10 pound Poms. My Grandparents came on over on this scheme. My grandfather got the passage for free as he served in WW2 and could go to anywhere in the Commonwealth after the war. My Nanna had to pay 10 pounds. They came out within months of each other then got married in 1950 in Oz . Julie in Oz

True OC Many did go on to make good and of course there were those that didn't. The Ironic thing is that is they hadn't ended up in Aus they probably would have starved, died of disease or something and their future generations would also have to continue the struggle. Those that were deported and made good lives forthemselves had it a lot better off. Then there is the fact that it was reguarded as hell on earth and look at how many people from the UK do migrate there these days, that's even funnier. Gypsyjoe

Gypsy Don't take offence - even if the original settlers were convicts, they were almost exclusively petty criminals, transported for stealing a loaf of bread or a handkerchief, crimes which wouldnt even warrant a punishment today, let alone the label of Convict. The serious criminals were hanged, not deported! I tend to think of early Australians as being unfortunate people, who generally speaking, worked hard and 'made good' when they got the opportunity and that is something to be proud of. OC

When I was a kid, I remember mum dragging us up to Australia House and getting all these forms for us to be among the ten pounders. Dad was a docker and they were crying out for dock workers to develop their ports. Mum filled in the forms, told Nan and she broke down crying. We never went.

Steven I take a bit of offence to that. I'm an Aussie and didn't come from convicts. I'm only first gen Aus on dads side and second on mums. Many people didn't and many convicts also returned to the Uk after they've served their sentances. Then there is also the large amount of immigrants, boat people and refugees from a number of other nations. Gypsyjoe By the way my dad and his mum were 10 pound poms, they came out in 1951. His father had actually gone to Aus in about 1949 to look for work first.

hi my sister and her husband and two young children went to aus in 1966 and still live ther they have been home about 3 times to visit but wouldnt come back to live. i think it too a lot of courage to do that love linda x x

My Aunty Em is a £10 POM now in her 80's living in a nursing home in Adelaide, bought all her family up out there and as far as I know loved it, struggled in the beginning. Loads of cousins I have never met but are now getting interested in family tree so we email each other. Marie Kent

I have an uncle (still living) who went out under the £10 scheme, lived in Victoria for thirty years or so, got homesick, came back, and is now living in... Luton. Andrew.

My hubby nearly went with parents in the early sixties but his mum thought she was pregnant. They bought the ticket and everything.

Hi, My husbands uncle went over. His first job was selling encyclopedias. He still lives there now. In the Outback. H

Thank you for these answers,thank you helen.

That's a bit of a liberty, if you had a criminal record you could not go. I mean Australia is full of them, well their descendants at least.

Try http://naa12(.)naa(.)gov.au/Login(.)htm. This site is the National Australian Archives and if you put in a name it brings up some of the names of families who left England on the £10 assisted passage scheme. Gives their date of birth, names and dates of births of children, date and name of the ship on which they sailed. I have been lucky enough to find several of my rellies who emigrated. Jean x.

Google 'ten pound Poms' heaps of info. Hope this helps. Cheers Gerry (a ten pound Pom)