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Establishing a migrant camp
1948: The Bathurst migrant camp was established on the old army camp site. The ex-army huts which were make shift and basic were used as houses. The buildings were unlined- iron shed, wooden Barracks and unreliable tents. The camp also offered a cinema, dance nights and also held card parties and celebration parties for anniversaries and christenings. -
Fitting in
1948: As part of the Migrant camp, the migrants were expected to abide by the assimilation policy, and fit into local culture. The point of the move was to leave behind their old lives and mould into their new ones -
Closing down
1952: The centre closes in April 1952, at the time of the closure the district chamber of commerce reported that the camp had grown substantially, it was able to accommodate just over 6000 migrants/people comfortably. It facilities were reasonable, these included: a large number of toilets, shower recesses, washing and laundry facilities, kitchens, dining halls etc. It also offered a fully equipped cinema, capable of seating up to 1800, two large vehicle halls and a hospital capable of holding u -
Present
Present: The original location for these camps is now used as few things: sheep and cattle dome, heritage park and private property. Although it has other uses now, the remains of many buildings can still be seen (they are just stumps or broken down walls).