“Treated Like Dirt” – Disillusioned Denaby Man Back From Australia

January 1959

South Yorkshire Times January 17, 1959

“Treated Like Dirt”

Disillusioned Denaby Man Back From Australia

Mr George Smith, of 3, Loversall Street, Denaby Main, is a disillusioned man. Three years ago, he and his wife and four sons, gave up their home in Conisbrough and sailed for Australia.

At first all went well. He soon found a job for himself and for his twin 14-years-old sons who had just left school. However, thrown out of work for no fault of his own, he moved from job to joy and each FP time—found that “Pommies” (English immigrants) were not welcome. .During his three years in Australia Mr. Smith had six different jobs ranging from the hard grind of a uranium mine to the cloudy atmosphere of a flour mill.

This week, he told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter, that despite assurances that wages were higher in Australia, he never once drew as much money as he did when working at Cadeby Main Colliery.

Most of their time “down under”, the Smith family were living in or near Adelaide, South Australia. Housing was appalling, he said, and sanitation worse. There were large open sewers running through the outskirts of towns.

The worst feature, however, was their treatment at the hands of the Australians. “We were treated like dirt” said Mr. Smith.