Summary

Book containing the novels 'Oliver Twist' and 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, belonging to Stanley Hathaway and brought by him when he migrated from England to Australia in 1951. It was one of many Dickens and Shakespeare books brought with Stanley to Australia who was an avid reader. Stanley worked as a maintenance man at Sunshine biscuit factory during the 1970s and in his lunchtimes would listen to the ABC on his radio and read his Dickens novels, many covered with plastic by his wife Lucy in order to protect them. He refused to read the Herald Sun and expressed to his co-workers his lack of interest in going to the football or the pub.

Stanley and Lucy (nee Simmons) Hathaway and their daughter Hazel survived World War II in heavily bombed Coventry, England, remaining there until 1946. They attended the Victory in Europe celebrations there on 8 May 1945. The Hathaways relocated to Buckinghamshire (where second daughter Merle was born in 1948) and Hampshire between 1946 and 1951, finally deciding to migrate to Australia. They applied successfully to the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme but had to wait two years before departing, living and touring England in a caravan until departing on the 'New Australia' 17 November, 1951. They first stayed at the Bathurst Migrant Camp in New South Wales before being relocated to a housing commission estate in Ballarat, Victoria. Within six months they had purchased a block of land in Wendouree, living in a caravan while their house was built. The family became active members of the local Ballarat community, with Lucy working for the newly established McCallum House Centre for Retarded Children at Sebastopol and continued her strong interest in the Brownies and Girl Guides associations. They later relocated to Melbourne and then retired to Buniyong.

Physical Description

Book with hard blue cover and title and author details in gold lettering on spine. Text printed in black ink and includes black and white illustrations by George Cruikshank.

Significance

This collection represents the experiences of thousands of post-war assisted migrants from England who brought with them memories of danger, sadness, courage, austerity and celebration in both tangible and intangible forms. This family survived one of the most severe bombings of any English city during World War II and brought with them material symbols of endurance and triumph in the Victory Day dress and Union Jack flag, symbols with almost universal resonance. The collection also includes items which tell stories about the goods migrants select in order to start new lives and the continued use of those items in Australia, the adventure of the ship voyage, and the seeking of familiar interests in a new community. This particularly relates to the family's ongoing participation in the Girl Guides. The collection also explores the theme of maintaining connections and loyalties to homeland, in this case through memorabilia relating to the British monarchy and exchange projects with former local communities.

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