Summary

Visitor's Book for Bampton House, 371 Wattletree Road, Malvern East including the names and dates for various families who stayed in the house as well as those who attended special church events.

'Bampton House' was acquired and used by the Methodist Church Burke Road, East Malvern for the migrants they sponsored as part of the 'Bring Over A Briton' scheme. It was named after the Rev. Walter Bampton who was the Minister at that church when the scheme was commenced. Only the first few pages have been used, the names of Jim and Mary Ward can be found on the first of these pages, when the family lived there following their emigration and on the last of these pages dated June 4, 1972.

Part of a large collection of material relating to the migration and settlement of British migrants to Australia in the 1960s under the 'Bring Out a Briton' Scheme. It documents in particular both the migration experiences of James and Mary Ward and their three children who arrived in Melbourne on the 'TSS Stratheden' from Yorkshire in December 1961; and the Burke Road East Malvern Methodist Church's sponsorship of a number of English families, including the Wards, under the Scheme. The Church's support included temporary accommodation for assisted families in a neighbouring house. The 'Bring Out a Briton' Scheme (1957-1982) was part of a Commonwealth Government initiative which offered subsidised ship fares, accommodation and support to encourage migration from the UK to Australia after World War II.

Physical Description

Bound notebook with blue covers and khaki linen-tape spine, with lined quarto pages, eight with blue ink hand-written entries and the remainder blank.

Significance

The Ward/Barlow Families collection is of national significance in documenting British assisted migration to Australia post-World War II. The collection provides a comprehensive snapshot from the commencement to completion of a British assisted migration experience and illuminates post-war immigration policies and procedures which favoured British immigration into Australia.

The collection of almost 400 items comprises a unique body of documentation with intersections between personal, community and government narratives that explore British post-World War II assisted migration. It includes photographs, personal correspondence, documents and objects offering a rare glimpse into the role of the Australian and British governments, Methodists Church sponsorship and community engagement in assisting and welcoming British immigrants to Australia. Assisted British migration was a constant theme of Australian immigration history until the early 1980s. Government initiatives such as the 'Bring Out A Briton' scheme had an enormous impact on the composition and size of the Australian population, making the Ward/Barlow collection of broad social and political historical significance.

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