Summary

Toy koala given to Peter Schmideg by a Jewish community welfare association upon his arrival from Hungary at Station Pier, Port Melbourne with his family in January 1957. Peter was originally offered a block of Cadbury chocolate along with the other younger children but complained so bitterly when he saw the girls receiving koalas he secured one for himself. His brother Stephen, along with other boys, received a Davy Crockett fur cap (also in the Museum's collection).

Stephen and Peter Schmideg fled Budapest with their parents Zoltan and Margit after the Soviet repression of the Hungarian revolution in 1956. Zoltan and Margit had already survived appalling experiences and loss of family as Jews during World War II. They managed to escape to Austria, before being processed and joining their ship the Aurelia in Genoa, before finally arriving in Melbourne on 28 January 1957.

Physical Description

Toy fur koala with black leather nose and paws and brown glass eyes. The body and head are firmly stuffed, fur ranging from pale grey on body to darker grey on head.

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
This collection of objects and photographs provides a rare opportunity to document the experiences of migrant children, both at point of arrival in Australia and subsequent settlement. The toys represent the interweaving of both Australian and American popular culture in the 1950s, on the cusp of the launch of television in Australia, as well as the increasing popularity of Australian native symbols to represent an Australian identity. The photos of the children at play with the items is a rare opportunity to document the objects in use at the time. They also demonstrate the role of some community groups (in this case Jewish) in greeting newly arrived migrants and the recognition of the special attention children might require, particularly after traumatic experiences in countries of origin.

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