Story: Refugees

Polish orphans (1st of 3)

Polish orphans

During the Second World War New Zealand invited 800 Poles – 734 of them orphaned children – to take refuge in New Zealand for the duration of the war. They had made a harrowing journey from Poland through Russia and Iran, to reach New Zealand on 31 October 1944. The photo shows some of them on board the General G. Randall on the day they arrived.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, John Dobrée Pascoe Collection (PAColl-0783)
Reference: 1/2-003628; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Ann Beaglehole, 'Refugees - 1870s–1940s: refugee groups', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/1095/polish-orphans (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Ann Beaglehole, published 8 Feb 2005