Sydney school teacher, Vasilis Vasilas, is currently gathering photographs and anecdotal stories within the Ukraine community for a forthcoming publication, In Search of Home and Hope: Images and Stories from People from Ukraine.
Queanbeyan, 2014
Vasilis Vasilas interviewing Sofia Jacysczyn
Courtesy of Marusya Jacyshyn
Australian-born and of Greek parents, Vasilas has published several books depicting Greek migration to Australia and New Zealand, Journeys of Uncertainty and Hope, Our Homeland: Lesvos and To the Farthest Place on Earth, as well one on Sydney’s Greek-sponsored football (i.e. soccer) team, Pan-Hellenic, The Giant who Never Awoke. Expanding his work, he published last year a book depicting the Estonian journey to Australia and New Zealand, Across Lands and Oceans…to Freedom.
Armed with his portable scanner and laptop, Vasilas has been visiting Ukrainian homes in Sydney, Newcastle and Queanbeyan/Canberra, scanning photographs and conducting short interviews with respective participants.
Vasilas explains the forthcoming publication on the Ukrainian people’s journey to Australia is based on the structure and format of Across Lands and Oceans…to Freedom, where the chapters are structured according to the journey itself- with chapters on Europe, the voyage to Australia and the first two years of life in Australia.
SS Castelbianco, 1948
A copy of Wolodymyr Simanowskyj’s ticket to Australia.
What makes this work a little different is the emphasis on oral history and photographs. Participants only recount the story of the photograph(s) they provide for the publication. Where the participant would actually comes into the publication is at what point of the journey the photograph was taken.
Wolodymyr’s passport photograph.
Courtesy of Wolodymyr Simanowskyj
For instance, if participants have photographs about various aspects of life in the DP camps in Germany, their stories would only be about camp life. If they had photographs taken on the ship’s voyage, the stories would only be of experiences during the voyage. If they had photographs of work or camp life in Australia during the first two years, their stories would only be about the journey. And so on..
By structuring the publication this way and collectively presenting the photographs and oral stories, I believe the publication will symbolise the journey of a people”
Bonegilla, 1949
During Australia’s Minister of Immigration, Arthur Calwell’s visit to Bonegilla’s Migrant Camp, Claude Brilinsky and Olha Zahorodnyj present him with a gift.
Courtesy of Daria Zahorodnyj
Asked why Vasilas has chosen to write a book on the people of Ukraine, he explains there are a number of reasons, “As the Ukrainian people are part of the first ethnic groups to come to Australia in the immediate post-War years (1947- 52), it is important to visually depict their experiences and capture their stories before these people disappear. We are in the unfortunate situation in witnessing this post-War generation passing away; it is imperative to capture as much of this socio-cultural history as possible.
The journey of the Ukrainian people is a story that needs to told- with people expressing their personal experiences- as it is truly an odyssey of loss and adversity, and, resilience and hope. It is also important to pass it on to the next generations to preserve this socio- cultural inheritance.’
Anyone who would like to participate in this forthcoming book, they may contact VasilisVasilas on 0422 89 1190 or vvasilas@syndesmos.net (2 v’s)
