Summary

Black and white image of Vojislav Stojkovic (second from left) and a group of men standing outside a hospital in Displaced Persons camp in Kassel, Germany, circa 1947. Vojislav Stojkovic was born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1906. He met his future wife Dimitrinka Nikolova Caraschobanova (Dimka) a Bulgarian Displaced Person when they were in nearby labour camps. They ended up in the same refugee camp in West Germany, and were married there in 1947.

The couple migrated to Melbourne via Naples on the Protea in 1948. They went directly to Bonegilla Migrant Reception Centre in Albury, although they both quickly found work in Melbourne. In 1952 they had a daughter, Nada, and in 1956 another daughter, Lily. They purchased a house in Footscray in the 1950s and took in many boarders, mostly recently arrived migrants. Vojislav died in 1987.

Description of Content

A group of four man standing outside a brick building, possibly a hospital, in a sloping garden. Two of the men hold shovels. The building has a white flag with a red cross flying above the roof. A group of people can be seen in the background, seated in front of the building. A tree with bare branches can be seen in the foreground. The tops of larger bare trees can be seen behind the building in the distance.

Physical Description

Digital image.

Significance

This photograph forms part of the Stojkovic family collection which represents the experiences of thousands of displaced persons and refugees from post World War II Europe and their efforts to survive both during the war and afterwards. It also illustrates the challenges faced by these migrants on arrival in Australia as they attempted to begin new lives often with limited English and little support.

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