The reality check
Once they arrived, the contrast between the dream and reality was often stark.
“When they got there, quite often they were miles from anywhere,” Brocklehurst says. His series follows families such as the Roberts, who arrived dreaming of whitewashed houses with huge gardens, only to face the harsh reality of migrant hostel camps. Through these characters, Brocklehurst explores a truth many migrants discovered: you can’t outrun your problems by crossing an ocean.
In a powerful scene from the series, Annie Roberts (Marsay) confronts this disconnect, saying, “They lied to us,” echoing the real sentiments of many arrivals who found themselves in spartan accommodation with outdoor showers and shared toilets.
Thomson explains: “The conditions in hostels varied and improved over the years, but in the initial years they were often Nissen huts that were freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer.
”The whole family was stuffed into one Nissen hut or even sometimes half of one, sharing dining rooms and toilet blocks.“
Some migrants who went on rent strikes or complained about conditions earned themselves the nickname ”whingeing Poms“.
The Simmonds were among the luckier ones, placed in a hostel near Elder Park in Adelaide rather than in the outer suburbs. Kay’s father had secured work with Adelaide City Council before arrival – though like many migrants, he would go on to work various jobs, from electrician to lorry driver, as he built their new life.
The isolation could be particularly challenging in country towns, where established residents might talk to newcomers but were slow to truly welcome them into their homes. Kay remembers being singled out in the schoolyard as other children gathered around, mocking her Welsh accent. ”Speak again! Speak again!“ they would chant.
For some, the gap between expectations and reality proved too much, with about 25% of British migrants eventually returning home. Yet remarkably, half of those who left would later return to Australia – becoming known as ”boomerang migrants“.
