| From July, 2016 we have been concentrating our efforts on the Polish Soldier Migrants Project. This is a study of the little known and somewhat neglected story of Polish military migrants who arrived in Australia in 1947 and 1948 aboard the SS Asturias and SS Strathnaver. We received funding from the Blum Foundation for this project. Also, thanks to a grant from the Polish Consulate General in Sydney, our Development Officer, Lucyna Artymiuk, travelled to Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Sydney and to conduct extensive research. As a result, we have collected over 2,000 pages of documentation from the National Archives of Australia, Tasmanian Archives, private collections and Sikorski Institute in London covering the background of these Polish military migrants.
We have also obtained six oral histories and scanned hundreds of photographs. We have now the largest collection of material on this phase of Polish migration to Australia. As a small organisation with limited resources, we are very proud of this fact!
This year MAPA once again organised an information stall at the Polish:
• Festival at Federation Square (November, 2016);
• Trade Festival in Rowville (December, 2016);
• Sports Festival in Albion (February, 2017).
Through our presence at such events we have the opportunity to increase our profile within the Polish community and raise funds through the selling of second hand books donated to us.
In 2016, Lucyna Artymiuk and Zdzislaw Derwinski conducted a genealogy workshop at the Ashfield Polish Club in Sydney. Since then a genealogy group has been established in Sydney with 10 second generation Polish Australians meeting regularly. MAPA now has an affiliate in Sydney.
Some other notable achievements in 2016/ 2017 were:
• obtaining the status of a registered charity which provides charity tax concessions as well as endorsement for ATO deductibility for gift recipients;
• opening our museum at Millennium House to the public on two days each month where we are have two prior exhibitions on display;
• developing a policies and procedures manual
• volunteer induction kit
• becoming a member of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria ; and
• the publishing the VI volume of the our Annual (“Rocznik”).
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In 2017 our Secretary (Polish), Boguslaw Kot, and Membership Officer, Marysia Picyk, had several articles published in the Polish Weekly (“Tygodnik Polski”) which provided both members and readers with updates of our activities.
Not to be overlooked, are two of our on-going projects. Firstly, the Polish-Australian Writers (PAW) group which meets on the second Saturday at the Polish Club in Albion and, secondly, our facebook page. The former is a small but very dedicated group – three of our family history writers held readings at the 2015 Pol art. The latter has 1,365 followers and is growing with an international interest!
Finally in June, 2017, Lucyna Artymiuk and MAPA’s President, Zdzislaw Derwinski, were given the opportunity to present to the members of the Executive Committee of the Polish Community Council of Victoria (“Federacja”.) Also in June, Lucyna and Zdzislaw conducted a workshop for Polish language teachers in Victoria on “teaching genealogy to children” as part of “Lolalny Osrodek Metodologiczny” (Teachering Methodolical Program). MAPA has received funding from the Polish Consulate to develop and conduct an innovative program for children “Młodzi Detektywi Przeszłości" (Young Detectives of the Past)
During the last financial year MAPA attracted over 50 financial members. This was our largest membership to date with most members being from the second generation of Polish migrants. We hope that you have found our organisation useful and will re-join us in the 2017/ 2018 financial year. At only $15 per annum, not only are you supporting the preservation of our communal memory, but you also have access to a wide variety of support for your research and writing.
For more information on MAPA, go to: https:/twitter.com/Polish Archives
Marysia Picyk
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