Summary

Two newspaper clippings originally stored within the pages of a black leather bound Bible, which was brought by Mary Ward when she migrated with her family from England to Australia in 1961. The larger of the two clippings refers to the visit of Dr. Leonard Small to Australia. According to the article, Small was the latest in a succession of 'world famous preachers' who had been brought to Australia by the Turnbull Trust. Leonard Small was the Queen's chaplain in Scotland and a former Moderator of the Scottish Church, he died in 1994. The smaller newspaper clipping is an article about doors by Patience Strong. Patience Strong was the pseudonym of the English poet Winifred Emma May (1907-1990), the pseudonym was used for her 'Quiet Corner' articles in The Daily Mirror until World War II when she was transferred to The Sunday Pictorial (which became The Sunday Mirror).

These items are 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

Newspaper clippings.

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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