Great Australian refugees. Australia's Most Successful Immigrants. Meet the immigrants who have become some of Australia's most successful businesspeople.
They arrived with nothing and now they are some of Australia's most successful executives. With almost 25 per cent of our current population born overseas, and a recent US study suggesting that immigrants are four times more likely to become self-made millionaires, it's little surprise that Australia should be home to so many successful executives. Here are six that arrived on our shores with little more than the clothes on their back. John Hemmes Merivale group founder John Hemmes left Holland following World War II with just $20 in his pocket, given to him by his father. Nowadays, Hemmes lives in a sandstone mansion on the Sydney Harbour foreshore. “It's not being an immigrant that makes you succeed,” he says.
“One job I had was working at the abattoirs in New Zealand – that is a job that can be soul destroying, but I convinced myself it was for the best, because I needed to survive. We came by boat: How refugees changed Australian business. Remembers water coming over the bow.
The small fishing boat carrying him and 40 other Vietnamese people – one of whom was a newborn baby – tried repeatedly to cross the tropical, cyclone-prone stretch of water separating them from Australia. It was 1978 and he was just seven. “On three occasions we tried to cross the Arafura Sea to Darwin and each time the boat just took in too much water," Truong says. “The captain made the decision to turn the boat around and go back to the calmer waters. " , who set out from Vietnam three years later, also remembers the water. “If you think there is any other chance of surviving in a reasonable, meaningful way, you wouldn’t choose such a difficult path and venture into the unknown," says Le of the journey she made, aged four, with her mother and three-year-old sister.
Life-changing decisions make Models of Achievement. Imagine being conscripted in the army at just six years old, then shot in the back while on duty.
Imagine being smuggled out of your country in a sack on the back of a truck, your brother risking his life to save you. Imagine coming to Australia, unable to speak English, determined to change your life. And then imagine how good it felt the day you graduated from university with a law degree. This true story of Sudanese refugee Deng is one of 20 incredible tales contained in a new 10-part documentary series, Models of Achievement, premièring on Television Sydney (TVS), digital 44, in June. Hosted by Annette Shun Wah, this compelling series explores the success and aspirations of 20 people and their professional journeys through their university study experience.
Some of those interviewed have come from disadvantaged backgrounds, others fled to Australia as refugees, while others were just ordinary citizens who couldn’t decide where their passion in life lay. Refugee settlement contributions. Refugees bring amazing strengths, knowledge, wisdom, resilience, and lived histories to their newly settled lives.
They are survivors. Most people who seek refuge in Australia resettle into communities and go on to lead successful and happy lives. People who have escaped conflict situations are often resilient and hard working despite the challenges they may have faced during initial settlement. People from refugee backgrounds bring with them their own skills and capabilities and an eagerness to contribute and give back to the communities who have welcomed them. Refugees who have come to Australia are a very diverse group. Moving between countries is challenging for many people. Notable Australian Refugees. Famous Australian people. Famous Australians. Everyone needs a hero, and this series of five-minute profiles on notable and interesting Australians aims to inspire children with the lives of people who have taken risks, followed their dream or reached for the stars.
It was often not an easy path they chose, either. Famous Australians 5 minutes These television programs are aimed at Upper Primary and Lower Secondary school students and aim to give students a living history with historical and recent vision gathered from sources all over Australia. The personalities featured are both historical and contemporary Australians, male and female, who hold a special place in Australia's history. Television Dates Search for biographies below: Famous Aboriginal people, activists & role models - Creative Spirits. Why we need Aboriginal role models Apart from obvious reasons like inspiration, setting an example, or showing what is possible, there's a more opaque reason we need Aboriginal role models: the media.
Journalists lack interest in reporting about Aboriginal achievers. "When you hear of some brilliant Indigenous person working in any of the professional sectors," says Jeff McMullen, a journalist himself, "the media turns away... The media needs to shift its message to an empowering one that gives individuals and families as a whole a sense of inclusiveness.”
Read my tips for journalists. Who's missing? David Unaipon If you live in Australia, do you know that you're probably carrying a famous Aboriginal man in your wallet? Before the redesign in 2018, the 50-dollar note showed a couple standing in front of Raukkan Church. David Unaipon fact file Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman is one of the most well-known Aboriginal Australians. Famous Australians.