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New Zealand's First Refugees: Pahiatua's Polish Children

Where does my loyalty lie?

Where does my loyalty lie?

Poland or New Zealand? I will let the reader decide.

I am not a sportsperson, but I like watching rugby when the All Blacks are winning. I watch the Hurricanes play other teams, but only if they are
Farewelling the Polish Girls' Hostel's Ursuline Sisters at St Anne's Hall in Newtown, Wellington, 9 March 1958.(l-r) Mikołaj Polaczuk, Sister Bernarda Brennan, Stefania Zawada (Sondej), Stefania Sondej (Manterys), Sister Monika Alexandrowicz

Farewelling the Polish Girls' Hostel's Ursuline Sisters at St Anne's Hall in Newtown, Wellington, 9 March 1958.
(l-r) Mikołaj Polaczuk, Sister Bernarda Brennan, Stefania Zawada (Sondej), Stefania Sondej (Manterys), Sister Monika Alexandrowicz

page 180winning. I was disgusted when yachting's Coutts defected to New Zealand's rivals. When I went to Poland to visit my relations, I praised New Zealand so much that almost every person I spoke to wanted to come here. But I loved being in Poland, where I did not have to explain myself nor justify anything and was believed when I recounted some extraordinary experience from my life – they knew it was true because they had experienced similar.

When our Polish dance group Lublin in Wellington was due to have their first public performance, they were sad because they did not have any costumes. So I took two months off from my part-time job, raided every fabric and haberdashery shop in the Wellington area, organised mothers, friends and relations, and at the end of two months Lublin had 32 lovely Polish costumes.

When I visit Australia and the Australians boast how they beat New Zealand in this and that, I point out that the entire New Zealand population could fit into Sydney with room to spare, so they have nothing to be proud of. I am a sworn Justice of the Peace. On Sundays, I attend mostly the Polish Mass. What New Zealand priest would let us sing our beautiful Polish hymns Sunday after Sunday and allow us to pray for the freedom of Poland for 50 years?

Now you try and decide where my loyalty lies.