Living History

Doug's story

In early 1956 I was living in Rottingdean on the South Coast of England. I was 39 years of age and a director of a company in Brighton. My health was not good as I suffered badly with catarrh, and tingles in my legs. I had a lot of stress at work, where we were manufacturing electronic devices, I was technical director. I went to a doctor who told me that to cure the catarrh I should move to a drier country and that to cure my nerves I should leave the company. My secretary then started looked for jobs that would do this.

The winter of 1956 was a bad one, very cold, we had a period of heavy snow, it may sound unbelievable to Australians, but in order to get water to make tea I had to go out and fill the kettle with snow. I used to drive to work at Brighton by the coast road that went along the top of those White Cliffs this coast is noted for. This day I had trouble as the road was slippery, and when I got there my secretary was amazed, as the RAA had announced that the road was closed due to its condition. I had wondered why I saw no traffic on it.

I was offered a job in America, but I did not fancy that. Then I was offered a job in Australia, which I took. Australia was about to stage the 1956 Olympics and was introducing television into the country for the first time; with Melbourne ready to cover the games live. A company engaged me to come to Melbourne with a technician and a lady PR to help them cope with television for their first time. I knew nothing about Australia but luckily met an Australian who told me a lot about the country. I realise now that he painted a poor picture because he had left and was living in England.

I arrived in Melbourne in August 1956, and found that I was booked into the YMCA hostel. The next morning I was waiting outside to be picked up, and watching the streams of traffic flowing by, saw two incidents where cars hit one another, the drivers got out and talked and then drove off. This amazed me, but when I mentioned it later to the person I was with and he laughed and said, “It happens all the time”.

I had a host to introduce me to Melbourne, a Dentist, he and his family were wonderful, drove me around and showed me parts of Melbourne. Then I started work. Television had not officially started but a test transmission was broadcast so we could install and set up the receivers.

I was given a Holden van and a map of Melbourne and started to deliver and install receivers. When I was given the van, I was told that the insurance forms were in the glove box and I was to be sure to get a signature every time I was in an accident. I laughed as I had never up to then had an accident with a motor vehicle, but I was assured that I would have one here. They were right as I was parked waiting for the lights to change in St Kilda Road a few weeks later when a car ran into the back of the van. I got out and discovered a Jaguar car with water streaming out of its damaged radiator, a young woman was driving, she willingly signed a form and said, “daddy will be cross.” I took the van back to the garage and got another van.

As I got to know the customs and living standards of the average Australian I felt that I had arrived in a land of Milk and Honey as the saying goes. This was really confirmed after I had been taken to a Drive-In and saw and ate large tender steaks roasted on charcoal fires. Living in Queensland as I now do, I have found out that Melbourne does not have the best weather, but after the damp and cold climate I had been living in, in England this was wonderful.

It was not long before I adopted that casual life style of the normal Australian, my health problems disappeared and I began to feel years younger. I shared a flat for a while at first with a fellow migrant. I was amazed that I could buy half a lamb for one pound, the abundance of fruit of all kinds, and counter lunches, where you could get a T-bone steak and vegetables for 2s6d.

I was confused at first with the health system. I had come from a country where you had to pick a doctor and register and then you were into the free National Health system. But you had to go to that doctor only. Here I found that you had to pay for everything, but you could go to any doctor. You could join a private medical insurance scheme where for a few shilling a week you could get a rebate of about 80% of your medical costs. There were no long queues for operations either. But the people were so fit and well, no signs of obesity.

Doug, Queensland

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