Bound for Australia

Irma & Horst
In the summer of 1951, Irma and Horst Figge met in a picturesque setting near a lake by a forest in Germany.
Although they lived 100km from each other and there were no telephones and no public transport, the pair kept touch by writing letters… and four years later they married.
As it was not long after the war there was a chronic shortage of housing so they went to live with Horst’s family. After living in confined conditions for three years, Horst noticed a newspaper advertisement that read ‘Come to sunny Australia”.
Irma’s first reaction was to ask “Where is that?”
In April 1959 the pair boarded an Italian ship and six weeks later they reached the sandy shores of Australia.
“We settled in and it wasn’t long before we had two beautiful children – a son and daughter,” says Irma.
The years passed by and in 1971, Irma and Horst became Australian citizens and then returned to Europe to visit their families.
“We planned to spend nine weeks in Germany, but after two weeks Horst became homesick for Australia and then we realised that Australia had become our home,” Irma says.
As a mark of respect, the Australian government has engraved the names of immigrants, including Irma and Horst, on a plaque in the Darling Harbour National Maritime Museum.
Irma and Horst moved to Carlyle Gardens two years ago and recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary amongst friends and family.
“We would like to say thanks to the many Australians who have become our friends and for their help, generosity and kindness that made it easy for us to become good Australians.”