Migrant hostels of South Australia

Migrant hostels of South Australia — are hostels where thousands of migrants passed from the 1940s to the 1980s. In South Australia these included Elder Park, Gawler, Gepps Cross, Glenelg, Hendon, Mallala, Pennington/Finsbury, Peterborough, Rosewater, Salisbury, Semaphore, Smithfield, Willaston, Whyalla, Woodside and Woodville. The hostels were temporary homes to a wide range of migrants, from Displaced Persons and refugees, through to "Ten Pound Poms".

Post war immigration to Australia contributed significantly to the population of South Australia. This was the era of 'populate or perish' and the Federal Government sought to increase the population of Australia by campaigns to encourage, through 'assisted passage' schemes, migrants from the United Kingdom. However insufficient Britons took up the opportunity and so Australia opened its doors to more migrants from non-British sources.

A war-devastated Europe provided a huge source of migrants. However Australians, accustomed to pro-British and 'White Australia' policies were initially wary of non-British looking migrants. When these barriers had been overcome to some degree, the 'New Australians' arrived in large numbers. Many migrants came to South Australia.

All the migrants, no matter where they came from, needed to be temporarily accommodated until they obtained employment and accommodation. Hence migrant hostels were created. These sometimes consisted of clusters of World War 2 Nissen huts. Others may have been vacant government buildings once used for other purposes (e.g. former army barracks, 'Cheer Up' entertainment huts from the World Wars).

Sometimes these hostels were located in cheaper industrial suburbs. The Federal Government considered that it was not bound by State health inspection and pricing regulations. Living conditions in the hostels were basic and the cause of dissatisfaction at times. For example, a rent strike and protest occurred at the Finsbury Hostel in Adelaide in 1952. This strike spread to hotels in other states.

Located on the site of the present Festival Theatre, at Elder Park, near the River Torrens. It consisted of fibro buildings. Some of the English migrants who migrated under the South Australian Housing Trust's House Purchase Scheme were accommodated for a few weeks before selecting their house for purchase at Elizabeth the SAHT-built 'satellite town'.

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