Summary

Orion and Tatiana Wenhrynowycz migrated to Australia in 1948, having been forced to leave the Ukraine during World War II.

Born on the 24th of July, 1922 in Drohobycz (now Drohobych), Ukraine to Stepan and Sofia Maria Wenhrynowycz and educated in Sanok, Poland, Orion fondly recalled his childhood:

"Western Ukraine is one of the most beautiful lands on Earth . One of the highlights of my early years was a cycle tour under the guidance of my father around Western Ukraine. The love of travel, discovery and nature that my father imparted to me at that tender age was to remain a permanent feature of my life." After graduating from a technical school with a certificate in mathematics in 1940, and with the "war drums . beating all over Europe", Orion served in the Ukrainian resistance movement until released for health reasons in May, 1942 and moved back to Lviv to continue his studies, and where he met his future wife Tatiana, " [our] romance was to bloom and flower despite the rather uncertain times that had engulfed not just Ukraine but the world at large."

In the turmoil of the Russian advance on German forces through Ukraine, Orion and Tatiana made the difficult decision to leave Lviv and accompany the retreating German army, and for the next few years Orion worked as a draughtsperson until in 1948 when the couple boarded the ship Wooster Victory in Genoa, and set out for Australia as part of the displaced persons resettlement scheme.

Orion and Tatiana arrived in Melbourne later that year and spent a month in the Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre. Soon after, Orion continued his work as a draughtsperson and graduated from RMIT with a diploma in architecture. In 1950 Osija, the first of the couple's four children was born, followed by Sozont, Mynodor and Sofonia. In 1956 Orion gained employment as an architect for the State Bank of Victoria, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1983.

Orion was an active member of the Victorian Ukrainian community, and was a founder and long-serving board member of the Dnister Ukrainian Credit Co-operative Ltd., and even naming the organisation and designing their logo. His architectural skills were put to use in assisting with the planning and supervision of the construction of the Protection of the Mother of God Catholic Church in Bell Park, Geelong and Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Melbourne:

"Considering that the various ethnic communities in Australia are the pillars of the nation, in my own small way I have always endeavoured to make a contribution."

Orion's early love for nature and travel was a feature of the Wenhrynowycz family's life, as daughter Sofonia recalled yearly, month-long holidays to different and exciting parts of Australia. In their later lives, Orion and Tatiana travelled Europe extensively, returning to Ukraine on an emotional and moving trip.

In his retirement Orion continued to develop his love of architecture and Ukrainian history and authored a three-volume collection of the Churches of Western Ukraine. Orion passed in 2012.

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