“Nasza Droga” (1952-1981) – A Polish-language foreign newspaper in Adelaide (Australia) and its “German” roots

The “Nasza Droga” newspaper was published from December 1952 to December 1981 in Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia, although it was published by different organisations and people during that time.[1]The editors changed regularly, the subheading changed and the frequency at which it appeared was inconsistent. In addition, the structure and the contents changed. In January 1950, the Union of Poles in South Australia [Związek Polaków w Południowej Australii] attempted to get the Australian authorities’ consent to publish the newspaper.[2] But the first issue was not published until three years later at Christmas 1952. At that time, there was still hope that the new newspaper would reach all Polish compatriots in South Australia as the first issue shows: “beyond its practical advantages, it [the newspaper] should become the link between all of us and our central organisation, the Union of Poles in South Australia”.[3]

But this never succeeded. Zygmunt Posłuszny, who to that point had been chairman of the Union, was granted the approval to publish the newspaper which meant that he was responsible for complying with the Press Law.[4] When the Union then decided after only seven issues and two small subsidies (of 50 Australian pounds in total) to no longer finance the loss-bringing undertaking, the newspaper became the property of Posłuszny and was published from 12 April 1953 with the subheading”Niezależny Dwutygodnik Polski” [Independent Polish Fortnightly Newspaper]. The new owner was born on 10 June 1908 and had taken part in the Warsaw Uprising under the battle name “Zawisza” as a platoon leader in the “Tadeusz Czarny” company in the “Ruczaj” battalion of the Polish Home Army [Armia Krajowa]. After the uprising had been quashed, Posłuszny, who was wounded, ended up a prisoner of war and was taken to the main camp 344 Lamsdorf [Polish: Łambinowice] in the district of Oppeln in Silesia. He was then taken to Stalag XVIII-C Market-Pongau, which was located in the American zone in Austria after liberation.[5] There he joined the second corps and when they moved he managed to get to Great Britain from where he emigrated to Australia with 1,457 Polish combatants. The migration from England was part of the British programme “United Kingdom Free Passage Scheme” on board the MS Strathnaver, which moored in Sydney Harbour on 10 August 1948.[6] Most of the Polish citizens who migrated to Australia at that time, including those who settled in South Australia, came from the occupied territories of Germany and Austria with the legal status of Displaced Person (DP). This was certainly the case for all those who arrived “Down Under” from 1947 to 1954 thanks to the agreement between the International Refugee Organization (IRO)] and the Australian government. Under these circumstances, 170,000 people emigrated to Australia, with an estimated 60,000 being Poles.[7]