Having escaped war-ravaged Europe, the trio were part of the 28,000 “new Australians”, calling Uranquinty home in the mid-20^th century. 

Rewind Wagga last week revealed the history behind the 1002-acre plot of land that hosted these “displaced persons”, forced from their homes during World War II. 

Mrs Hedditch – a former Lady Mayoress of Wagga – said there was not much she could remember from her years at the Uranquinty Migrant Centre, but she knew it had been a struggle for her parents. 

Her mother, Stanislawa Pitura – Sita – was 16 when she was made a slave in Germany. 

But the young Polish woman almost fell on her feet, according to her daughter. 

Mrs Hedditch said her mother had worked in the home of a lovely German couple, who had treated the teen well. 

She said her father, Eugenuisz – Mick – had not been as fortunate. 

The 17-year-old man was forced into a concentration camp, where he remained until the English liberation, two years later. 

As refugees, the “displaced” pair were then bounced separately from camp to camp, until they met, wed and had their first child, Halina. 

Mick and Sita’s luck finally turned when they were offered residency in Australia. 

But it came at a cost, as husband and wife were forced to live separately.

As part of the contact to come to the country, Mick was put to work at Kandos Cement Works, near Mudgee.  

“Men had to work for two years,” Mrs Hedditch said.

“It was hard for my father. He was very homesick for his family.”

This had been a great struggle for Mick, who only saw his pregnant wife and young daughter, Halina, on visits to the Uranquinty Migrant Centre.

“I remember we were given a room,” she said.

“And I remember going to the canteen to eat.”

Mrs Hedditch said life in post-war Australia had been tough in other ways too

She explained the country itself had been poor at the time, having endured heavy losses across two World Wars and the Great Depression. 

But Mrs Hedditch said the facilities at Uranquinty were not too bad and had been better than the alternative. 

“We didn’t complain,” she said. 

“We were here and many others had not been accepted to Australia.”

After her mother endured a “difficult birth” in 1950, Mrs Hedditch said her father had struck a deal with the government, allowing him to return to Wagga if he could find work and somewhere to live. 

Mrs Hedditch said times were especially difficult for a young family, learning a new language, trying to make ends meet.  

“Accommodation was scarce and we lived in a single room in several homes around Wagga, before (my parents) were able to save enough money to buy a little garage in Chaston Street,” she said.

“It had no roof and Dad slowly added rooms.”

Mrs Hedditch later met her husband, Bruce, who became one of Wagga’s former Mayors. The pair remained in the city until 1984.