© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY
Read more about the article Krystyna’s dancing journey from Greta Migrant Camp to Sydney’s Chequers Nightclub
Krystyna over the years. Photos supplied by Krystyna and her son Alex.

Krystyna’s dancing journey from Greta Migrant Camp to Sydney’s Chequers Nightclub

Krystyna Kurzydlo was six-and-a-half when she arrived in Australia in 1950. Her Polish parents had been forced labourers of the German Nazi regime during World War II, and were anxious to escape from Europe. They spent years after the war moving from one "displaced persons" camp to another before finally being accepted by Australia. Krystyna's parents - Tomasz and Zofia - had hoped to go to America, but her father's illiteracy prevented that, and Australia seemed the best chance for the family. Australia wanted cheap labour and population growth, but it also wanted to restrict its…

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Australia’s year of the skidmark

This was the year that started with a bushfire crisis that sent the prime minister scuttling to Hawaii - telling his staff to lie about it if anybody asked. This was the year of the bushfire recovery fund that didn't seem to help too many people, but provided a handy $10million to cardboard squillionaire and Trump buddy Anthony Pratt. It was the year of the awful drought, which brought to light the appalling destruction of our inland river systems, aided and abetted by the National Party and its friends and donors. Thanks to Barnaby and Angus…

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Read more about the article Santa, a gallery of amateurs
Gordon Sutherland with Santa in the 1960s. Photo from Ray Sutherland.

Santa, a gallery of amateurs

Not everybody has what it takes to be an amateur Santa. But sometimes not having what it takes is no obstacle, and hundreds of dads, grandpas, uncles and ring-ins of all stripes have been called to serve under the red and white banner of Father Christmas. When push comes to shove, after all, it's usually a matter of jumping out of a truck with a sack full of bags of lollies and handing them to crowds of excited children who probably aren't paying too much attention to the fine detail of your costume. Store Santas are…

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