A number of years ago, my father was interviewed for the Jewish Migrant Oral History Project. Thankfully, I have a copy of the interview, and I will be publishing excerpts from it in his memory.
Previous installments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Interviewer: What were your initial impressions of Perth on your arrival?
Dad: Not good.
Interviewer: Why not?
Dad: Well I was restricted. It was bad enough on the boat. My father went out of his way, nearly bored himself to death looking after me. But here my parents had no time.
Interviewer: But literally as you were getting off the boat what did you see? Obviously the Fremantle wharf.
Dad: We were met. They were getting organised here and we were met with a car and a committee of ladies. And were taken to this boarding house in Norfolk Street, Highgate or North Perth. I hated it there. We had one room.
Interviewer: Why?
Dad: Well the story had started here in Perth that all German Jews, apart from being arrogant and all being professors and all having this and that, were very rich, and they ripped us off. Normal rent for a flat was about 10 shillings and my parents, who didn’t want to cause any waves, paid over the pound and then everything was extra. And it was only when the parents met other people who had arrived earlier than us that they learnt what was going on and they complained.
