1949 - present

Andrew Havas’s migration story began when aged 7 with his parents joined the 200,000 Hungarians who fled their country as refugees during the Hungarian Revolution on 1956. The nationwide protest was against the Soviet-imposed policies and lasted from 23 October to 10 November 1956. He was initially deported to a small country town in 1952 for being “bourgeois” under the communist regime. The journey the Havas family took was dangerous and arduous, beginning with exile in Dunaharszti, Hungary and transferred to an ‘internment camp’ in Salzburg, Austria. From there, they travelled to Bremerhaven, Germany, then embarked on the troop ship Fairsea as assisted refugees. The route was to include the Suez Canal in Egypt (BUT was blocked due to the Suez 1956 Crisis), so they went via the Cape of Good Hope, Africa and terminated in Melbourne, Australia.

The Havas family arrived in Perth in May 1957 and then travelled to Melbourne upon arrival, an Australian Government official asked them to go to “the Boggabilla Camp”, which was the Migrant Reception and Training Centre (1947–71) in northern Victoria. However, Andrew’s father didn’t understand English, and having survived a Nazi internment camp herd the word “camp” decided he was not going to any camp, grabbed the family and got on the first available train, which happened to end up in Sydney. As a non-English speaking immigrant he attended Darlinghurst Public School, which he describes as one of the roughest schools in Sydney.

Of this time, Andrew says "There was never a day in my life I wasn’t bullied; often returning home with a torn shirt or no shoes. I was called derogatory names and ridiculed because I spoke and dressed differently and ate different food. However on reflection, I realise these experiences shaped the man I am today and set my determination to enact positive change in the lives of others”.

Andrew established and is the founding Chairman of Courage to Care (NSW) Inc., which is a major educational project and program for promoting social justice and tackling racism and bullying. He’s involved in and working with many communal boards and organisations, in various capacities. In 2009, he received a Medal of the Order of Australia (an OAM), for services to the community by way of promoting cultural diversity and understanding.

Andrew’s motto remains “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”