POLISH PATRIOTS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1926, Page 4

POLISH PATRIOTS

FAMILY’S ROMANTIC HISTORY

SYDNEY, June 10.

In New South Wales, for nearly KX) years, has lived, secluded and unknown a family closely linked with Polish patriotism, a family whose story is tho epitome of tho vicissitudes of the persecuted people of Poland. Their story is 'all the more interesting, and for nil its pathetic overtures, all tho more romantic, because the protagonists were so important in Polish history. AVitbin a week, there died three representatives of this family, in Australia. They were Emily Laura Plater, S 3. Rachel Kosciusko Plater, 83, and Emilian Paul Casimir Plater, 7d, daughters and son of Count Lucien de Broel Plater, who, announcing boldly bis revolt against the Russian tyranny over this country, fled during the rising of 1830 to England, and eventually came to Australia. Tic was a wealthy and noble man, and in the Russian army ho served with distinction until in November, IS3O, lie tilts ordered with other Polish officers'to proceed against his countrymen. Then be deserted. Tlis cousin Emilia Plater. figured in the revolt, led Polish troops against the Russians, and today is ardently reviewed by the Poles, as the “Polish Jeanne d’Arc.” NEPHEW OF KOSCIUSKO.

Count Lucien Tie Broel Plater was |i nephew of the celebrated Kosciusko, of whom Australians have perpetual remembrance in their snow-capped mountain. Count Lucien married an English lady, and when their child was two years of age, they emigrated to Australia, and settled at Parramatta about 20 miles from Sydney, in tile ’thirties. The Platers became friendly with the Miacarthur family, famed for its work for the Australian wool industry. Count. Lucien newer returned to Poland, although Russia. offered him an amnesty. He settled permanently at Parramatta, -and there raised a family of ton, of whom four now survive, and died CO years ago while comparatively young. NOBLE LINEAGE.

The family hid its noble lineage under tile unpretentious title of commoners. There are other branches of the famous and widely-scattered Plater family on Hie Continent, and in the United States, and one of them not very long ago instituted an interesting action to recover from the United States Government compensation totalling £21,000,000 for the land on which Chicago was built. This, they say, Washington gave to their ancestor. Kosciusko, as payment for his services in the war of revolution against England. The Austrt.ilian family makes no such sensational disclosure of its identity, and it was only tho three deaths from old ago and influenza- last week which lit- up for a brief moment its romantic and historic plist.