Post World War Two Ukrainian Migration to Tasmania – building a bridge between the archive and community to discover migrant experience

The Ukrainian community commenced events and initiatives to celebrate 70 years of migration to Australia in 2018, on the eve of the anniversary of the first single men and childless couples to arrive as displaced persons at the end of World War Two.  Today, displaced persons are once again arriving in Tasmania, fleeing their homeland in search of safety.  However, the structural circumstances and support available are vastly different from what the first group experienced.  This presentation will provide an overview of Ukrainian migration to Tasmania, with a specific focus on the initial cohort of displaced persons who arrived between 1948 – 1952, and their descendants. It will explore how the post war migration of Ukrainians to Tasmania is represented and remembered.  The presentation will conclude by reflecting that whilst the rigour of historical research must be retained, academic enquiry is necessarily enriched through the development of partnerships with community organisations.

A proud third generation Ukrainian-Australian, Marina Ladaniwskyj has maintained a personal, academic and professional interest in Tasmania’s migration story for many years.  Following study at the University of Tasmania she worked at CatholicCare Tasmania from 2009 - 2021 in various capacities, directly supporting migrants and humanitarian entrants, and providing strategic and policy advice to Senior Management.  This experience of the system supporting new arrivals to Tasmania provided a unique perspective on the circumstances which faced displaced persons arriving after World War Two.  A current committee member and past President of the Association of Ukrainians in Tasmania, she led the production of the community’s 2019 publication, With Ukrainian Greetings. A History of the Ukrainian Community in Tasmania.  Although the project was a commissioned history, the community contributed significantly to the original research, theme development and drafting of the publication. More recently, Marina has been directly involved in supporting the new wave of displaced persons arriving in Tasmania following the full scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.