SEVENTEEN ‘new Australians’ took the Oath of Australian Citizenship at a ceremony in Wonthaggi last Thursday night. One of them was San Remo identity Andy Dennis, who came to Australia as a part of the Child Migration program in 1955.
Between 5000 and 10,000 child migrants came to Australia from both Britain and Malta between1922 and 1967, most of whom were sent to charitable and religious institutions.
The program and experiences of those who arrived here under this program were the subject of a Senate inquiry in August 2001 and a National Apology delivered by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull in the Great Hall, Parliament House on November 16, 2009.
“Our older brother Malcolm stayed behind and mum joined us three years later,” said Andy.
“Nigel, Trevor, Elise and I came out on the SS Strathnaver in 1955 and spent some time in a home at Bacchus Marsh.”
Andy was aged 7 at the time. His father, Bill, had died some years earlier and his mother Grace was faced with the challenges of raising five children on her own.
His is just one of the stories about how those who officially became Australian citizens last Thursday night originally came to this country, many like Andy who have long since made their permanent home here, but others who are recent arrivals.
The Kim family of Wonthaggi, formerly of South Korea; including local dentist Sung Wook Kim, pharmacist Go Eun Kim and their two young daughters Elise Dasom Kim and Claire Daon Kim were four of the 17, with the two youngest new Australians receiving the gift of two soft-toy kangaroos from Deputy Bass Coast Shire Council Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead.
Another local resident taking the Oath of Australian Citizenship was former New Zealander Darren Eagle who was supported by a big group of his former Wonthaggi football mates at the event including Darren Brown, Giuliano Tiziani, Dean Chambers, Ange Gennaccaro, Glenn Duscher, Ross Lovett, Stu Gilmour and Dean Deminich.
The citizenship ceremony, hosted by Bass Coast Mayor Cr Clare Le Serve, sporting her new symbol of office, was attended by Eastern Victoria MPs Melina Bath and Renee Heath with a special address by Bass Coast Community Leader of the Year 2024, Unit Controller of San Remo SES, Mandy Chancellor.
Like Melina Bath, who spoke on behalf of the Victorian Government, Mandy stressed the importance to the community and personal benefits on offer to those who volunteered, whether that be for a sporting or community club or association or for the SES.
“We had a callout last night so I’ve had to change what I was going to say to you tonight,” said Unit Controller Chancellor, noting that members of her unit were also attending to two more callouts tonight, which they’d been able to arrange to do, after work.
It’s been a busy week.
“The SES has promoted me and provided me with the opportunity to be a leader but being a leader is not like being a boss or a manager, or telling people what to do, a leader is a person who inspires others and we have a lot of leaders in the SES, including taking control of the situation when they arrive at the scene (of an emergency).”
Ms Chancellor said the SES had provided her with the opportunity to be considered for the Bass Coast Shire Council’s top community award, an honour that had already opened doors for her in spreading the SES message, and trying to attract further volunteers to the group.
“At present we have 20 to 25 members, 18 of whom are active, but San Remo is really growing and we are going to need more people, in a range of roles, in the future,” Ms Chancellor said afterwards.
