The Hladun family came to Wagga from “horrors of unthinkable proportions”.
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Wagga woman Terese McInerney’s family history was set in stone at the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Welcome Wall unveiling ceremony across the weekend.
Ms McInerney said her Ukrainian grandparents and father had made sacrifices to create a better future for their family; for her.
Her grandparents and father’s names were among 339 migrants, revealed on the wall’s newest panel, in Sydney.
The Welcome Wall stands in honour of all those who have migrated from around the world to live in Australia.
After surviving as a Russian soldier and later a German prisoner of war, Serhij Hladun, his wife, Vera, and their small son Val set sail for a better life in the ‘50s.
“They were not wealthy with money or possessions,” Ms McInerney said.
“But wealthy with love and happiness from their family and friends.”
She said her grandparents, like other families from overseas, became the founders of the Australian spirit; a “spirit of comradery”.
