Footscray Historical Society Migration

Footscray Historical Society Research
Preserving and recording the past

MIGRATION SINCE 1947

The Society has significant information on European migrants before the Second World War but would like to strengthen the collection about families and people who came to Australia after the Second World War. Please contact the Society if you have photographs, stories or records you can contribute.

Since the end of the Second World War successive migrant groups have made an enormous contribution to the development of the City of Maribrynong.

While in 1947 almost the entire population was Australian born, by 1954 this had changed to almost one-fifth born overseas. By 1961 this had risen to one-quarter and by 1966 to almost one-third. (Lack, John, History of Footscray, 1991, p370) Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for the City of Maribyrnong shows that the proportion of persons born in non-English speaking countries in 1996 was 40% of the population.

The first woman elected to Council was Silka Kerry in1972. Born in Belgrade of Russian parents, she was a very successful councilor and a strong advocate for local issues.

The first woman Mayor was Vietnamese born Mai Ho, 1997-1998, after the change of boundaries and renaming of the City from Footscray to Maribyrnong.

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