Summary
Letter from P. W. Masterson to Robert Salter, dated 21 July 1938. Robert migrated to Australia from Austria, fleeing Vienna just before the German annexation of Austria in 1938. He had applied for residency in Australia 5 months before leaving Vienna but could not wait for approval as he was in danger of being arrested.
He journeyed on 2 ships from Rotterdam to Melbourne via Indonesia and Brisbane, but found when he arrived in Brisbane that his application for residency had been rejected. With the help of William Maloney, a federal Member of Parliament, Robert was finally able to obtain permits for himself, as well as for his parents, his fiancee Ida and his friend who had accompanied him on the journey. This letter is the initial rejection letter Robert received when he landed in Brisbane.
Physical Description
Typed letter headed Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Interior, Canberra, ACT, from P. W. Masterson to Robert Salter in Vienna, Austria, dated 21 July, 1938. It informs him that his application seeking permission to enter Australia has been declined. There are also hand written notes in German.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mr Michael Salter, 31 Jul 2008
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Sender
P. W. Masterson, Canberra, Greater Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 21 Jul 1938
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Addressed To
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Inscriptions
Text, printed front: COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA/EC./DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,/CANBERRA, F.C.T./21st July, 1938./Dear Sir,/With reference to your application for/permission to enter Australia, I desire to inform/you that the matter has received careful consider-/ation, but it is regretted that the application has/not been approved. The handwritten text in German is a direct translation of the typed English text above.
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
202 mm (Width), 254 mm (Height)
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References
Video interview with Robert Salter particularly regarding his tailoring period in Flinders Lane - conducted by Jewish Museum of Australia for Schmutta Business exhibition, 2002? Article: Salter, Robert 'Flinders Lane.Memory Lane' The Journal of the Australian Jewish Historical Society, Vol 10, Part 7, 1989 Interview transcript: Robert Salter interviewed by son, date?. Copies of selection of photos, including one showing Robert wearing the overcoat in the months before fleeing Vienna.
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Keywords
Clothing Trade, Flinders Lane Rag Trade, Jewish Communities, Jewish Immigration, Refugees, Wars & Conflicts, World War II, 1939-1945
