Former Greta Migrant Camp residents, families and friends came together to celebrate the centre's 75th anniversary on Saturday at Greta Community Hall.
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Author Alek Schulha, who was born in the camp, told the Maitland Mercury this week that the camp had a huge impact on Maitland and Australia.
"The migrants contributed greatly to the development of Maitland," he said.
"They bought properties, they became ratepayers, they found jobs, they got wages, they bought things, so it was a very important role that they played, and Maitland benefited from that as well."
The former army camp opened to a first intake of 600 European post-war migrants in 1949 and operated until 1960.
The camp accommodated more than 100,000 people, many of whom settled in the Maitland area.
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
