Summary

Black and white photograph showing Ivan Kucan and an unknown friend, working to build a house, Newport, 1951.

According to Ivan Kucan's family, in 1949 the Kucan family migrated to Australia as displaced persons after World War II. They had stayed in a displaced persons camp in Austria for four years but their country of origin was Ukraine. During the first two years in Australia, they lived in migrant camps in Bonegilla and Benalla. The men had to work off the cost of their passage in a contract to the government. After two years of working off their passage, Ivan Kucan and five migrant friends came down to Melbourne to purchase land to build homes. They all purchased land in the same street in Newport and helped each other build their homes. Ivan is helping the other man in this photograph to build his home.

Description of Content

Two men standing behind a work bench. One is holding a tool. The other has a long metal rod in a clamp on the bench. Metal rods are in the foreground. In the background are trees and a house.

Physical Description

Digital image file. A digital photograph was taken of the original black and white print.

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