Crewmen from overseas

[j.sabourn]

That’s the way it worked for the 11 years I worked out here John and it didn’t put the oil people off. They paid the rates negotiated with the maritime unions happy or not. So just shows the massive profits they made then and now , today fings ain’t wot they used ter be I’m told. JS.
Those foreign flagged ships would only be allowed a stipulated period of time and after that had to be manned by Australian seamen. The same applied to oil rig personnel. Similar today for shore workers which is carried out today plenty TV programs showing the turning away of people visiting Australia without work permits apart from seamen. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Myself I agree that Australians should be the first to get work regardless of wages. Money earned in a country should be spent in that country the first thing any good economist will tell you. Trouble with Australia they can’t spell economy never mind knowing what it means. Cheers JS.

[j.sabourn]

Whether you were on a ship or not with or without a passport, your particulars on a crew list was passed to immigration and also to the British Embassy or Consulate. Mostly in the likes of Russian or Communist ports your discharge books were landed ashore and Russian or whatever visas were stamped in the back pages. You were going nowhere in a hurry . jumping ship in Australia or other ports if didn’t stay in hiding you were in the local gaol and saw the local town court at its next meeting. Some were fortuanate and allowed freedom of movement and if kept your nose clean were allowed to stay, if not you were deported. The allowing to stay bit was due to the fact that the likes of Oz at that time were looking for more settlers. Under 18 you would have been deported in most cases anyway. JS
For those with discharge books look in the back pages and if you have CCCP stamped in the back then you’ve been to Russia officially as a seaman. JS.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Mark
To show you how a bit more lax it was back in the day. Me and my wife and kids decided to move from NZ where we hadn't taken out citizenship when we emigrated and move to Aus, i didn't have a passport so sent to the British High Commission in Wellington for a British passport with my 12 year old son on it, I hadn't got it by the time we flew over, in Sydney the Customs asked me why I didn't have a passport and I told them but showed them my discharge book, she right mate he said that's good enough.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes Des, things were a bit different then.
Now the bloody Kiwis do not want any of their lot back if they have been bad boys over here.

But if you are a bad boy in NZ, you will be on the first plane back here.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
I hope to C they never try to send me back there.
Des