Gallery – Polish refugees in New Zealand

At Pahiatua Camp, 1944-49

Pahiatua Camp

Jan Nowotarski, Jadwiga and Roman Kołodziński, Krystyna Dudek, Judith and Stan Nowotarski, Marek and Leokadia Kazimierzak, Stan Kołodziński, Krystyna and Malcolm Adam, Stanisław and Maria Kołodziński, Helen and Hughie Hunt, Helen and Peter Drake, Eddie Kołodziński, Jan Kołodziński, Stefan and Michael Kołodziński, David and Ania, Gayleen, Stefanie and Kate, Irena and Ted, Ursula, Helen Kołodzińska, Adam Kołodziński

l-r: Gayleen and Stan Kołodziński, Kate and Stefanie Hunt (girls sitting), Malcolm and Krystine Adam, Stanisław and Maria Kołodziński, Stefanie Kołodzińska, Helen and Hughie Hunt

Visting Pahiatua Monument at site of old camp

l-r: Franciszek Jaśkiewicz, Zofia (Głogowska) Nowak, (?), Stanisław Wójcik, (?), Maria (Dac) Jaśkiewicz, Maria Kołodzińska, (?), Stanisław Wołk, Wanda (Pelc) Ellis, Bogusław Januszkiewicz, Jan Jarka, Irena (Naplocha) Rax, Jadwiga Jarka

With their grandson Matthew on his Christening day

Monument on the site of the Pahiatua Camp (representing a mother and child on a ship) sculpted by Tanya Ashken and erected on 22 February 1975. Some of the stones from the old grotto that was at the camp were embedded in the monument's pedestal.

The Sontay was a cargo ship which took the Polish refugees on a most uncomfortable journey from Iran to Bombay, India, in September 1944 on their way to New Zealand.

The official front row at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Polish refugee children's arrival in New Zealand applauds one of the many Polish cultural performances of the day in the Pahiatua Sports Stadium - 23 October 1994 l-r: Stefania (Sondej) Zawada, Prime Minister Jim Bolger, Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard, Józef Zawada, Joan Bolger, Polish Ambassador to Australia Dr Agnieszka Morawińska

At Wellington Hospital's Nurses' Home in 1951

1984 World Field Crossbow Championship. Halina (Fladrzyńska) Morrow (2nd from right) and her husband Ernie (right) representing New Zealand at Crossbow Championships in Wolverhampton, England

In New Zealand just before returning to Poland, 1948

At Canterbury University, NZ

With a New Zealand nurse

Marian with the fruit of his labours - a blueberry harvest

Back: (l-r) Jan Nowotarski, Józef Aulich, Kazimierz Rzepka, Franciszek Wypych, Czesław Pelc, Józef Chwieduk, Piotr Adamczyk, Lech Lubas, Witold Suchodolski Middle: (l-r) Stanisław Wołk, Piotr Aulich, Bolesław Wojtowicz, Alfred Sapiński, Witold Chumko, Bronisław Rożniatowski, Stanisław Skiba, Mieczysław Bieniowski, Jan Lasota, Jan Kaźmierów Front: (l-r) Ryszard Białostocki, Marian Olechnowicz, Frank Muller, Helena Wenckiewicz, Antoni Perkowski Sitting: (l-r) Tadeusz Solarz, Adam Żak, Franciszek Żak

l-r: Stefania Jasionowicz, Sister Johnson, Janina (Kornobis) Duynhoven, Sister Leaming

Sister Stella (Józefa Wrotniak) - 3rd from left receives family and guests at a Warsaw convent during her 50th Jubilee celebrations of life as a nun of the Nazarene Order

The Captain (far left) on board the Sontay with the Polish children, guardians and crew members Wacław Sumicz (left of Captain's hand), Mieczysław Bieniowski (below Captain's elbow), Andrzej Dawidowski (front left), Bolesław Żygadło (behind Dawidowski), Sister Monika Alexandrowicz (far right bottom), ship's officer (left of Sister)

Wanda (Pelc) Ellis received this award in 1996 for many years of community service at St Peter's College in Auckland

Bogusław (on the left) with his brother Stanisław (on the right) at a wedding in 1957

Emilia joined Pat and Mary Leahy for holidays at their home whilst at the Pahiatua Camp and maintained contact with the Leahy family. 8 March 1953

Józef Jagiełło, age 18, on the road to Wellington during a trip with his friends

l-r: Witold Suchodolski, Eugenia Sajewicz, Alfred Sapiński, Emilia Sondej, Jan Lasota, Weronika Potem, Krzysztof Jasiński (Staszczuk)

Surrounded by former Polish children refugees in the Polish House in Auckland (l-r) Jan Jarka, Stanisława (Piotrowska) Nowacka, Tadeusz Mazur, Jan Roy-Wojciechowski, Jadwiga (Jarka) Cooper (seated), Maria (Dac) Jaśkiewicz, Franciszek Kubiak, Maria (Nowotarska) Kołodzińska, Zofia (Rombel) Bieniowska, Sister Jadwiga, Janina (Malczewska) Szczepańska, Jadwiga (Nawrocka) Kołodzińska, Jan Pąk, Zofia (Głowgowska) Nowak, Rozalia (Manterys) Zazulak (seated), Kazimierz Rajwer, Roman Kołodziński, Jan Kaźmierów, Cecylia (Gawlik) Zazulak, Irena (Iwan) Pąk

Every non-citizen of New Zealand was obliged to have a Certificate of Registration under the Aliens Act 1948. This had to be presented within 14 days after change of abode, place of employment or occupation. The visits to the police weren't pleasant experiences as the refugees felt that they were truly treated as "aliens".

Inside a prefabricated classroom that was especially built for the Polish Children's Camp l-r: Augusta Aniecka, Maria Dac, Emilia Banaś, Aleksandra Kraczko, Anna Kozłowska, Felicja Nadolska (profile, front right), Wanda Dejnakowska, Teresa Wypych

Seven Polish boys in Marist Brothers' High School (with teachers in the back row), Greymouth, 1947 Middle: (l-r) Edward Kukiełko, Artur Gawlik, Tadeusz Zioło Front: (l-r) Jan Turkawka, Kazimierz Depczyński, Tadeusz Rozbicki, Jan Sajewicz

A group of friends from the Polish Boys' Hostel in Hawera l-r: Bronisław Gmyterko, Kazimierz Krawczyk, Antoni Rybiński