The following article was published in The Advocate in 1952. Quoting the late Bishop Patrick Francis Lyons who spoke at the opening of a church-kindergarten at a migrant camp. It provides an interesting perspective of views towards post-war migration in Australia.

“I Hope that the Australian people will have sense enough to appreciate that the coming to our country of such large groups of new settlers, though mainly the outcome of a horrible war, will be in the nature of a national blood transfusion if only we do our utmost to take advantage of it," said his Lordship Most Rev. Dr P. F.Lyons, Auxiliary Bishop to his Eminence Cardinal Gilroy, speaking at the blessing and opening of a new church-kindergarten at Chullora migrant camp, Sydney, on October 19.

(The story of how the migrants had transformed this centre in the Chullora railways yards was reported in The Advocate on October 2.)

“One of the words that these newcomers to Australia roundly detest is assimilation," said Dr Lyons. "They are tired of hearing that they should try to be absorbed quickly into our conditions and way of living. It is rather the Australians who might well examine their conscience about this duty of assimilation, which is a two-way process. The migrants are in danger of falling between two stools. The Commonwealth Government brought them here under a guarantee to be responsible for them for two years. At the end of that time, there is the temptation to think that this responsibility is ended. On the other hand, the State Governments are inclined to take the view that the problem is not theirs.

"The migrants who have come here represent centuries of knowledge and experience in industry, farming, engineering, the fine arts, and above all, in Christian principles and culture. They are outstanding for their fidelity to correct family life. Their many and happy-faced children are one of their best gifts to us. They have not spared an effort to find work and homes among us, but so far many are homeless and, lately, some are faced with the fear of unemployment.”

"It is important that we not only make these good people feel at home, and cease regarding and speaking of them as a land of second-class citizen but make them also full partners in our life and destiny. They will not forget our help. They are aware and grateful that Australia has given them refuge after their terrible experience in other places. They will remember that in their time of need our land gave them liberty, peace and the means of living with their children as decent human beings. They do not seek charity. They will repay any debt they owe us by giving to our young nation from the riches of their intelligence, honesty, determination and Christian faith, which were for so long the characteristics of their life in their ancient homelands."

A link with Melbourne at the new Chullora camp was referred to when Bishop Lyons presented to the new church-kindergarten, on behalf of the Cabrini Sisters, Melbourne, a first-class relic, and a photograph of St Frances Cabrini.

The kindergarten is dedicated to the saint, who is patroness of migrants. St Frances Cabrini, said Bishop Lyons, "knew well the difficulties met by her migrant compatriots long ago in the United States of America, and she would take a special interest in the Poles, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Italians and other new arrivals in the Chullora settlement."

The new building will provide pre-school education for New Australians' children, of whom there are about 500 in the area, and will serve also as a centre for migration priests of many nationalities in their spiritual care of families in the camp.

This article was published in the Melbourne Advocate on Thursday 23 October 1952 (page 2)

It was sourced from TROVE. (A publically accesible online library database owned by the National Library of Australia).