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Polish migrants played an integral part in Wollongong’s development but their contribution has been ignored, say Andrew Krajewski and Ben Patynowski.
Mr Krajewski, who set up the Polish Australian Historical Group six months ago, and Mr Patynowski, the president of the Polish Association in Wollongong, are trying to change that.
The Polish Centre in Gipps Road, Gwynneville, is holding a workshop this Sunday from 10am until 4pm, inviting Illawarra residents of Polish heritage to bring along their photos, old documents and medals to be scanned and photocopied.
The historical group’s aim is to write a book recording the history of Polish migration to the Illawarra, to celebrate 160 years of Polish settlement. They also hope to eventually set up a Museum of Poles in the Illawarra.
Mr Krajewski will lead the work to create the book. The Shellharbour resident was motivated by a forgotten grave in Croom Road cemetery, which he found out was the burial site of one of the Polish Association’s founders.
‘‘I found that a lot was written about Poles in Australia, in Melbourne and Sydney, but for some reason they are not even mentioned in Wollongong,’’ he said.
‘‘To me it was obvious there was a gap. I started this with the end goal to write a book on Poles in the Illawarra.’’
Mr Patynowski, who won the 2012 RAAF Heritage Award for art, said the event on Sunday would also be a chance to showcase Polish residents’ hobbies, including paintings, coin collections, quilting and doll houses.
The most significant wave of Polish migration to the Illawarra was post-World War II under the Displaced Persons Scheme, when about 2000 people arrived. The migrants lived in camps and worked at sites such as Port Kembla Steelworks and the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme.
Mr Patynowski arrived in Wollongong in 1949, aged four, while Mr Krajewski migrated in 1981, post-Solidarity, aged 35. The pair are both 67 and were born on the same day.
Mount Keira and surrounding suburbs were once called Zlotkowski Heights in honour of Polish pioneer, Ignacy Zlotkowski. He and his wife, Jane Haigh, owned a large parcel of land between Mount Keira Road and Robsons Road from 1856 to 1887.
Information: 4228 8803