REPATRIATED AUSTRALIANS

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43107, 20 June 1907, Page 4

REPATRIATED AUSTRALIANS

A s. 1 -' load of repatriated Australians arrived at Sydney on May 31. Describing the scene the ‘Herald’ says:— The travellers swarmed out on the platform, and after they had gathered up their luggage they were addressed by Mr Sohey, of the Labor Bureau, and told what they were to do. Those who did not require assistance were to pass right out at th.e barrier. It was significant that only a few passed out. For the others there were tables, for the married and single respectively, where orders were to be obtained for supper, bed, breakfast, and lunch next. day. They were to report to the Labor Bureau if they had not succeeded in getting work the next day. Those who wished to go up country straight away were to go to another table, where they were to get orders for railway tickets. Vigorous cheers were given by the crowd when this announcement had been made. They all appeared in the best of spirits. Then a busy time ‘began for the officials as the crowd swarmed around the tables.

The crowd that arrived yesterday presented all sorts and kinds of humanity. There were old and young, laborers, clerks, and professional men. The majority seemed decent-looking men. There were amongst them seventeen families, totalling eighty-seven souls, including little dots, who, paradoxically speaking, had come home to a strange land. A most noticeable feature was the great number who, it was evident, had never seen Australia before. Probably it is difficult to avoid this result. All of them represented themselves to the agent in South Africa as Australians, and it is practically impossible to tell in every instance whether this is so. Many, however, were typical Englishmen, and some were foreigners. Some of the crowd, however, had worked their passages out. The verdict of the officer who had travelled with them was “Good, -with a few exceptions.” That there were natives amongst them, however, was evident from the neat and typical swags lying, amongst the lup-cace. Some were tradesmen, and carried their tools with them.. Others it would be hard to place, particularly one unique specimen of an “assisted” passenger, who was adorned with stylish leather riding gaiters and pants, and sported a cigar.