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Posts tagged ‘emigration’

Author Murray Watson with his book front cover on T-shirt

Privileged information reveals expats were asked to be spies

“Interviewees’ testimonies bring historical interpretations to life. Recorded life stories are intensely private, often funny, and occasionally heartbreaking. Many of the English-born immigrant interviewees with whom we spent time talked frankly about their fears, expectations, and family separation anxieties.” Author Murray Watson looks at some of the rich data—and some of the surprises!—that social historians can unearth when they ask people to tell their own story.

Odo - pet dog

Emigrating to Australia with a pet

“When we first told acquaintances that we intended to emigrate from the UK to Australia with our dog in tow, we had to contend with expressions of astonishment and disbelief. The less charitable people suggested it would be cheaper to shoot him. Our belief was that if we’d had children we’d have had to take them with us, so Odo was emigrating too, whether those people liked the idea or not.” Rachel Amphlett looks at the challenges and rewards of emigrating to Oz with a beloved pet.