Images(2)

Haux family aboard the NEPTUNIA

Publisher Fairfax Publications, Sydney Morning Herald

Date7 October 1953

Object numberANMS1453[055]

NamePhotograph

Mediumphotographic print on paper

DimensionsOverall: 196 × 254 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionA black and white photo of Dr and Mrs Gustav Haux and their four children (from left) Roland, 7, Frederic, 8, Margaret, 9, and Charlotte, 10 from Bavaria arriving on the NEPTUNIA at Station Pier, Port Melbourne. HistorySince the first Fleet dropped anchor in 1788, more than 10 million people have moved from across the world to start a new life in Australia, arriving in waves, encouraged by the 1850s gold rushes or to escape adverse conditions at home in the social upheavals of C19th Britain's industrial revolution, the turmoil of revolution, two world wars, the aftermath of the Vietnam war in the 1970s and more recent conflicts. With the catchphrase 'populate or perish' ringing through the community, Australia stepped up its immigration in the years after WWII, offering assisted passage to British migrants, encouraging migration from European countries, and finally in the 1970s repealing the restrictive White Australia Policy framed after Federation in 1901. More than seven million new settlers have now crossed Australia's shores since 1945 and it's estimated that one in four of Australia's population was born overseas. Newspaper clipping attached to the back of the photograph reads: ‘Meet today’s happy Haux family from Munich, Bavaria – Dr and Mrs Gustav Haux and their four children (from left) Roland, 7, Frederic, 8, Margaret, 9, and Charlotte, 10. It wasn’t a happy family last night. Papa Haux anxiously paced his hotel room thinking he would never see soon enough the Italian liner NEPTUNIA berth at Station Pier, Port Melbourne. It was bringing in his family to him after five-month separation. And while he paced, Mrs Haux was already at Station Pier scanning the darkness from the NEPTUNIA's rail while her children kept asking her, “Why doesn’t Daddy come?”. “It was a terrible mistake” said Dr Haux when reunited with his family today. “I flew from Tasmania last night expecting to meet the ship when it berthed this morning. “All the time it was in Melbourne. The information I got about the arrival time was wrong.” Dr Haux saw the NEPTUNIA from the air as she gilded towards Station Pier but he didn’t know it was the ship he had to meet. Mrs Haux said today, I waited till 10 o’clock last night at the rail. When Gustav didn’t come I guessed something had happened.” Dr Haux, a constructional engineer, will take his family to their new home at The Spit when they reach Sydney.’SignificanceThis image is one of a series of photographs taken by Fairfax photographers that provides a unique window into how immigrants were viewed and immigration policy articulated in the popular press in Australia. They represent something of the personal face to Australia's massive post-war immigration push and show immigrants from many European nations, USA and China.