Summary

Black and white photograph of the first council meeting of the Actuarial Society of Australasia on 3 June 1953. One of the members is George Palmer. George migrated to Australia from England with his wife Gertrude and their two daughters, Shirley and Lesley in 1947.

Description of Content

Members attending the first council meeting of the Actuarial Society of Australasia. Features group of 15 men, five seated at a long board table, the others standing in a row behind them. There is a key to identify men below the photograph. George Palmer seated front row second from left.

Physical Description

Large black and white photograph mounted on stiff off-white card.

Significance

This collection provides an invaluable record of one family's migration experience, from the first seed of desire to leave England, to the securing of employment, application processes, packing, departure, journey and immediate arrival in Melbourne. The journal is particularly rich in terms of its detailed account of daily shipboard life, including the descriptions of cabins, decks, interior spaces, facilities, lighting, food, mail systems, weather, ports, and activities. While not the actual original document, it is an immediate copy, contemporary to its time and reflects the significance of this rite of passage for the thousands of migrants who arrived in Australia during the post-war period. The photo album provides an evocative complimentary visual record of the experience.

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