Having lived in Lobethal for the past five years, I thought I knew quite a bit about the town. I did not know that much of the colour and stability of the area can be credited to a group of plucky immigrants who arrived into the work force following World War II.

Many came from Eastern European countries as 'displaced persons' made homeless by the war. Australia offered assisted passage on the ship in return for two years of indentured labour in government supplied jobs. Government hostels in Woodside provided meager accommodation for these workers, their wives and families.

The United Trades and Labor Council of South Australia became aware of the significant contribution these immigrants made to Australia and planned a project focusing on their history. Through writing and visual art a timeless record has been made.

Catherine Murphy, 'Writer in Residence' for he project, held local workshops and interviewed thirty (30) former residents of the Woodside Migrant Workers Hostel. There interviews have now been published as a book entitled - Boat Load of Dreams.

Reading the earliest transcripts of these interviews, my group of visual artists absorbed the 'collective experience' of these immigrants. The nine visual art participants were gleaned from the community through a direct mail brochure and by word-of-mouth.

They came from different walks of life. Trained and experiences professional, art students, and complete novices with an interest in art came together to produce this exhibition.

Over one third of the participants in the visual arts area were migrants themselves, having arrived as children. All were keen to learn and work together on this community project.

For six workshops we poured over the archival material and interviews. Brain-storming sessions allowed everyone to put forward ideas for topics and projects. The exhibition took form from these original concepts. The group chose eight projects to tackle and divided themselves into 'mini' groups with 'mini' budgets. We were set a formidable task, since the art works needed to be competed in thirteen weeks time.

An empty upstairs workshop of the Onkaparinga Mill in Lobethal became our studio. It was the perfect place. We had lots of space and plenty of light. The only thing lacking was heat and through the long Lobethal winter we nearly froze.

There was continuous input and expertise from the local community. Titling, woodworking, painting, photography were all provided. Tremendous interest and support was shown for the project by school children, senior citizens and trades persons. Our youngest participant was only 2 years old.

The first gallery for "Boat Load of Dreams" was the Migration Museum in Adelaide. We overcame the difficulty of the small amount of display space made available for our art works by specially designing them to fill preexisting display boxes and expanding into the nearby foyer and open courtyard.

The Mill site in Lobethal, our original work area, will be the permanent home for this exhibition. It offers a large amount of space and will be added to the present visual art displays which include the "Through the Mill", a collection of paintings, photographs and 3 dimensional art works on the Onkaparinga Mill, and a developing historical Mill Museum collection which includes everything from yarn samples and dye formulas to much of the heavy machinery used in the production of woolen blankets and material. To the present 'Boat Load' display will be added a collection of memorabilia with interpretive creative writings and paintings.

The art works are a step above the usual community-based projects, because of the high percentage of art-trained participants and the group's ability to abstractly interpret the migrant experience. Complex thoughts are portrayed in simple images.

The art works reinforce each other using eight main themes:
1. The Mother Country: leaving tradition and family.
2. War: Victims fleeing charred remains.
3. The Journey: traveling by ships to the unknown.
4. The Hostel: corrugated and uncivilized.
5. Working Life: 2 year work contracts by luck of draw and called "Bloody New Australian". Working for little pay by the sweat of the brow.
6. Children: being different and isolated at first.
7. Towards a New Life: rebuilding lives, gradually finding order.
8. Integration: many nationalities becoming 'Australian'.

As Artist in Residence for 'Boat Load of Dreams' I facilitated the initial discussions, defined the exhibition and assisted in the production of the art works. This was an enjoyable task since the workers were highly motivated through out the entire project. Thy encouraged each other and valued each other's opinions. I enjoyed watching the group members being stretched by trying new medium and tasks. I could see their artistic confidence develop during the project. I am thrilled that so much artwork and insight came about in such a few short weeks.

Florence Peitsch