Poles-A-Part - Banner

Leaving the Homeland

Twentieth-century Polish migration to Australia bears witness to the turbulent and changing fate of the Polish nation. There were three peaks of Polish migration to Canberra: 1947-1952, 1957-1966 and 1980-1986.

The first group of Polish refugees after the Second World War arrived in Canberra in 1947/48. These were largely people who had found themselves in Displaced Persons Camps both during and following the conclusion of the war. Soviet annexation of Polish territory from 1945 meant that many Poles could not or did not wish to return to their homeland.

The next spike in Polish migration was a result of the Commonwealth Government's Immigration Policy. Targeted migration and assisted passage schemes brought workers and reunited family members.

The most recent wave of Polish immigration is often referred to as the 'Solidarity Wave'. Poland was a Communist state from 1946-1989. In 1980 the Solidarity Trade Union began its fight against communism. It resulted in a new wave of Polish immigrants to Australia.