Melinda Ham on The Lucky Ones: Stories of Australian refugee journeys

Waverley library welcomes you to attend this special event for Refugee Week, listen to an inspiring talk with award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent, Melinda Ham. With over 30 years of experience, including reporting for The Economist and The Sydney Morning Herald, Melinda will share insights from her latest book, The Lucky Ones.

This meticulously researched work captures powerful refugee stories spanning 70 years, detailing journeys from places like Iraq, Vietnam, and Afghanistan to Australia. Hear firsthand about the resilience, survival, and hope that defines these "lucky ones," offering a unique perspective on the refugee experience in Australia. Don't miss this moving event!

‘We are not numbers or statistics. We fled from our homelands because we were standing up for what we believed was right. We had no choice, no choice at all but to flee for our lives. We are the lucky ones who left, and found a new country that welcomed us.’

– Lulu, refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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About the author:

Canadian-born Melinda Ham has been a journalist and writer for more than 30 years. Her career started in southern Africa where she was a correspondent for the Associated Press and London’s Daily Telegraph, The Economist and other international publications. She has also reported from India and Singapore.

After immigrating to Australia, Melinda wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald for 12 years. She now creates content for large organisations, universities and not-for-profits. Continuing her passion for refugee issues, Melinda has volunteered as a community speaker, tutor and mentor.

Her home is on Scotland Island, in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, unceded land of the Garigal Clan of the Guringai Nation, with her partner Mike. She loves bushwalking, running, sailing — and the occasional visit from her two grown-up children.

About the book:

The Lucky Ones is a moving and meticulously researched book of refugee stories from award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent Melinda Ham.

Though they are from different generations, countries and cultures, the families in this book all have one thing in common: they have escaped persecution in their homelands to find safety in Australia. Spanning 70 years, and tracking journeys from Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland, Tibet, Vietnam and Zaire, The Lucky Ones offers a window into the complex history of Australian refugee experiences.

More than 35 million refugees around the world are currently waiting to be resettled. In their own words, the people in this book are some of the 'lucky ones' who survived terror, detention, beatings and torture to reach a country that offered them a new beginning.

About the guest Jozefa Sobski:

Jozefa Sobski is the daughter of Polish refugees Wojciech and Maria Sobski who fled Europe after the end of World War II and arrived in Australia. Maria was pregnant with Jozefa when she stepped off the boat in Sydney Harbour in November 1948. Before they died, Jozefa recorded her parents’ stories of their refugee journey, and as they rebuilt their lives and settled in Australia. For decades, Jozefa has been active in feminist, women’s and community organisations. She started her activism in Sydney Women’s Liberation in the 1970’s. She was Chair of the Board of Jessie Street National Women’s Library and the Community Languages Schools Board. She was Convenor of Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) NSW and WEL Australia. She worked in the Ministry of Education as a policy adviser on sexism and in TAFE as a Principal of a College and Director of South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE. She is also a member of the National Foundation of Australian Women, Immigrant Women’s Speakout Association, Emily’s List and Vice President of the Haberfield Association.

About the guest Minh Nguyen

Minh Nguyen is a Vietnamese refugee who fled by boat from his homeland in 1981, with his seven year old daughter Kasse. Minh had fought in the South Vietnamese Airforce alongside the Americans. After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, he endured five years in a re-education detention camp living in near-starvation conditions where he saw many of his friends die of malnutrition, dysentery and other diseases. After escaping to Indonesia, he and Kasse eventually received Special Humanitarian Visas to settle in Australia and overcame significant hardships, including a life-threatening accident. But Minh didn’t give up. Following a lifelong dream, he got the opportunity to study and received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the NSW Institute of Technology (which became the University of Technology Sydney). He was hired by the Commonwealth Department of Housing and Construction for nine years working on defence facilities and hospitals. Then as a consultant in the private sector, he worked on a number of major building projects at the Olympic Park site.