EP 17... Toma Banjanin - The life of a migrant @ 96 years of age

Masters of the Game

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Toma Banjanin was born in the year 1927. He has lived quite an extraordinary life... one filled with deep suffering, hardships, perseverance and hope. A fulfilling life, living off the land and one full of love, surrounded by family... his wife, 6 children, 16 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren and the rest of his extended family.
He is sharp as a tack and remembers it as though it all happened yesterday. The detail is quite remarkable as he takes us back in time with vivid recollections of people, places and events that go back many, many decades. As one of the first wave of migrants that came to this country in 1949, the migrant story is one that many can relate to, in a multicultural country such as Australia.
This was very special, a true privilege. Please enjoy!
Topics covered:
* Living the simple village life as a child in Gračac, Lika
* Describing his mother & his hero, his father
* Fondly remembering his 9 siblings & the daily chores
* The start of World War 2... the trauma/horror that war represents
* Chetniks (Royalists) vs Partizans (Communists) & Germans (Nazis)... the many close brushes with death they experienced throughout the war
* The killing of his father & eldest brother at the hands of the communists
* I ask him about his relationship with food & basic human needs throughout his life, after his wartime experiences... he got down to 48kg at his lightest, he would go days without food, sometimes a week
* Getting orders to lay down arms, the war is over... what was next
* The miserable conditions in prisoner of war camps post World War 2 in Italy (Cesena & Eboli) & Germany (Münster), handed to them by the British Army
* Did he think he would survive? Did he have hope?
* Being given Displaced Person (DP) status, those not wanting to return to a communist country
* What he feels he left behind when he left his homeland
* How they chose Australia as their preferred destination & the immigration process
* The actual month long journey to Australia on a converted cargo ship called 'Nelly' - and the severe sea sickness!
* What happened next, once he docked at Station Pier, Port Melbourne as a migrant?
* Getting settled into a new country, being sent by government to S.A. for work, working as a mechanic, being introduced to shouting rounds of beer!
* Reflecting on the early days in Australia - the 17-18 hour days of hard labour on his 169 acre farm... with no running water & no electricity
* Some final reflections on his journey & his life
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