People of Good Will Association

People of Good Will Association (1953 – 1969).

Through the International Refugee Organization and the Australian Government program, refugees from the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia have flowed to Australia since 1949.

However, larger groups of exiles only arrived in Fremantle port during 1950. Most exiles were transferred to a collection camp in Northam upon arrival. At the same time, with political refugees, Australia supported its own immigration program aimed at population growth and support for the postwar economy. As part of this program, post-February immigrants had to commit to two-year working activities in major or emerging sectors of the Australian economy.

The Czech and Slovak exile in Western Australia, numbering 400-500 in the 1950’s, developed independently of other cities in Australia due to the obligation of a two-year work commitment, the vastness of Western Australia, undeveloped infrastructure and the low number of Czechs and Slovaks. That is why the expatriate association in Perth was set up under the name People of Good Will Association (Association) only on June 20, 1953, a few years later than in other parts of Australia. The character of the non-partisan association and its development in the 1950s and 1960s was strongly influenced by Christian ideals, patriotism and artistic tendencies of President Josef Kučík. The association was operated without any statutes, elected committee and regular membership financial contributions. Despite many differences from other societies, however, the Association shared the same anti-communist ethos as the whole exile in February in Australia.

In particular, on the initiative of its chairman, the Association developed a number of cultural, social and political activities in the 1950s and at the same time helped settled Czechs and Slovaks in Western Australia successfully integrate economically and socially into local society. One of the regular activities of the Association was sending financial and material assistance to Czech and Slovak refugees in German collection camps where many people or families waited for repatriation for many months.

A significant activity of the Association was the operation of the Czechoslovak School in Perth. 14 March 1953. However, due to the decreasing number of pupils, teaching was interrupted during 1954.

Under the influence of Josef Kučík, at the end of the 1950s and 1960s, the Association launched a campaign to establish a museum documenting the contribution of Czechoslovaks to Western Australia’s culture. Since it soon became clear that the focus of the museum only on Czechoslovak culture in Australia would be too narrow, the original concept was changed and other expatriate associations were addressed. However, after more than a decade of negotiations without tangible results, the project went bankrupt in the early 1970s.

Since the end of the 1950s the Association has been struggling with a gradual decline in active members. This downward trend was largely due to the fact that many exiles after February left the isolated and relatively economically undeveloped Western Australia to more promising cities on the East Coast or the United States. In the 1960s, the Association gradually ceased to operate on a regular basis and its activities were limited to occasional meetings or jointly organized cultural events and trips.

The election of Karel Kosina to lead the organization on September 15, 1969 marked a turning point in the history of Czech and Slovak exile in Western Australia. In addition to the rupture within the exile movement, a fundamental organizational transformation took place. The loose and informal Association was replaced by a standard association called the Association of Czechoslovaks of Western Australia, which has probably started publishing a simple periodical newspaper Circular in Czech (Slovak) and English language versions since 1970.

Source:

Jaroslav Miller – The Unknown Story of Czech Exile: Josef Kučík and the People of Good Will Association in Western Australia, 1950–1969