The exhibition and the book Half a World Away; PostWar Migration
To The Orange District 1948-1965
is the culmination of a heritage study
drawing together the people of Orange, the NSW Migration Heritage
Centre and Orange City Council. This web exhibition is drawn from the research and the exhibition
held at the Orange Regional Gallery in March 2007.
Today, four out of ten people in New South Wales are either migrants
or the children of migrants. As former migrants age, it is vital their
stories and cultures are recorded.
Since the 1830s, migrants have made a remarkable contribution to the
settlement and development of Orange. Following the Second World War,
many migrants from Europe made their home in Orange, transforming the
economy, culture and landscape of the city and its surrounds.
The arrival of the first World War II European migrants in the
Orange district in 1948 heralded significant changes in the life
of the city. As
the newcomers found jobs, built homes and settled into their new
lives, the city developed with them. During the next two decades,
World War II migration to Australia reached its peak, Orange
expanded from a quiet centre of about 14,000 inhabitants to one of the most
dynamic and successful cities in inland NSW.
Half a World Away
is a tribute to the hundreds of families from Europe
and the United Kingdom who exchanged conflict, uncertainty and
economic chaos for a stable, prosperous lifestyle in the Orange district.
Their journey was often not an easy one but their spirit and tenacity
prevailed and Orange is much the richer for their presence.
enter online exhibition »
order the book »