JUDITH HOLMAN-CROOK
LANCASHIRE
During 1945 Ben Chifley's government as part of its "Populate or Perish" and designed by the Minister of Immigration Arthur Caldwell to substantially increase the population of Australia and to supply workers our country's industries. The cost to the adult migrants was only ten pound sterling for the fare (hence the name), no cost to the children—but employment was promised by the Government. When the migrants arrived they were shown into basic hostels and the expected job opportunities were not always readily available. It attracted over one million migrants from the British Isles between 1945 and 1972. More migrants were encouraged to travel in 1957 following a campaign called 'Bring out a Briton'. It coming to an end in 1982, Reached its peak in 1969 and during this year over 80,000 migrants took advantage of the scheme.
After the deaths of their parents George and Mary Ann, George went into the army. Catherine, Mary Ann and John Thomas were too young so they eventually went put into the Blackburn Orphanage. They had to leave their other siblings the eldest James, and young Lizzie who fell and became a cripple and of course the baby who was adopted by a neighbour couple who lived in the same street. This is their story of their lives as far as I discovered.
Catherine would end up happily married after spending ten years in the orphanage.
Mary Ann also spent ten years in the orphanage but her years were up and down, she could not settle on any job she was set. I haven't found her full story.
John Thomas has the saddest story as he was only five years old when he went into the orphanage and by the age of fifteen he was set out to work on farms and like Mary Ann he could not settle. He had been in an institution for too long and was by now institutionalised. He ended up in the Chorley workhouse and then in the army. I dare say he was comfortable there because of the regimented way of life. John Thomas died during the battle at Pozieres on the 24th April 1818.
George's left the army after fourteen years service a marriage and two children. He went on to have six more. Two of which went on to travel onto to Australia in the early 1960's. Then grandchildren followed, Ten pound poms they called them. Howard is one of them. Howards Uncle Syd came first in 1960, he encouraged Howards father Horace who arrived in 1961, Horace then encouraged his sons Howard and Ian to move to Australia and so they did. Of course cousin Ronald came to Australia with his wife Ann and children and added to the mix.
The Crook family now live in South Australia, Victoria, N.S.W., Queensland, and W.A. All are married and have families.
MIDDLESEX, CORNWALL, CHESHIRE, AUSTRALIA, LONDON, LANCASHIRE, SOUTH AFRICA to FRANCE in WW1 and WW11 is the story of two families. My family the Holman's and my husband Howard's family the Crook's. To have left him out would have been a sad neglect on the memory of his family who should have had a voice and didn't. Both sides of our families fought in all conflicts and have their stories to tell some from the graves in Europe.
This Web page is an ongoing project so please have patience with me. This is my first Web page and I have my Learner plates on.
Judith Ann Holman-Crook
CORNWALL
Cornwall was a mining County of England that dates back to 100 and 200 B.C. when Cornwall is thought to have been visited by metal traders from the eastern Mediterranean. Britain was named 'Cassiterides' meaning 'Tin Islands' by them.
However in the 19th centery the price of copper and later tin ore became unprofitable in Cornwall causing mass unemployment. The Cornish potato famine was also a major factor in the diseases. They had nothing to sustain them in their labours. Cornish miners in the early decade of the 19th century had diseases peculiar to their jobs and their life span often did not exceed 40 years. The two major causes of their illness were impure air from poor ventilation caused by the breath of as many as 600 men and the burning of the miners candles and climbing ladders. The disease phthisis affected all able-bodied men and they died at early ages.
The Cornish first arrived in Australia with Captain Cook. There were some Cornish on the First Fleet. The creation of South Australia, with its emphasis on being free convicts and religious freedom, was championed by many Cornish religious groups and there were a far larger amount of Cornish settlers to that colony. Large scale emigration to Australia did not begin until the 1840's. The gold rushes and copper booms were major draws to the Cornish people. The Cornish from far and wide resettled in Australia from other parts of the world.
Thomas Holman and Esther Ann Tregoning were the first to arrive on our South Australian shores in 1849 where they were to build a family dynasty. A family that spread into many states and that boasted many military records for its new country. A country and a family Thomas and Esther would have been proud of.
Howard Crook
