The First Steps of New Australians from Ukraine on Terra Australis

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Volodymyr Savchak. Sydney. Cardboard, oil. 1954. Museum of the Ukrainian Diaspora

The article delves into the social and professional adaptation of the new Australian settlers from Ukraine during the late 1940s through the first half of the 1950s. The author concludes that the social adaptation of these Ukrainian newcomers faced various challenges, including:

The tropical continental dry climate.
The dispersion of the Ukrainian diaspora across the vast expanse of Australia.
The absence of “old” Ukrainian emigrants, and consequently, the absence of organized Ukrainian community life, forced them to rely solely on their own resources.
Pronounced language barrier, especially among the elderly.
The significance of lamb dishes in Australian cuisine.

At the same time, the relatively generous wages and low prices for essential goods provided immigrants with the opportunity to improve their financial situation and build their own homes after years of hardship in Europe.

The author dedicates special attention to the issue of professional adaptation of immigrants, which proved to be particularly challenging for individuals with higher education. Many had to work primarily in construction and the service sector. After completing their two-year contracts, not all of them could find work in their professional fields. It is not surprising that a portion of the new Australians, especially those with higher education, eventually relocated from Australia to the United States and Canada.

The Australian government’s policy aimed at the rapid assimilation of new Australians from Ukraine failed.

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