Old and new mix at Gabba Dance

Article from the Courier Mail, Monday 30 October 1950

‘New Australians of every nationality flock to a Woolloongabba dance hall every Sunday night to meet Australian girls and to talk things over among themselves.

The dances, held in the Hibernian Hall are organised by the Polish Association but Czechs, Hungarians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Greeks, Italian, Dutch, Ukranians and other nationalities attend.

Many native-born Australian teenagers go to the dances – for them it is somewhere to go on Sunday night. Last night Dorothy Kendall of Dutton Park was one of the Australian girls dancing. “I go to the beach on Sundays,” she explained “I like to finish off the day here.” She said she liked dancing with New Australians.  “You don’t notice any difference,” she said.

Organiser of the dance, Mr S Fekiewicx was a German prisoner of war for five years. Once a Lieutenant in the Polish Army he now works in a South Brisbane factory.  “We like everyone to come” he said. “Old Australians, New Australians, anyone. We are not Poles or Ukranians any longer. We are just Australians and we want to mix with other Australians.

Old and New mix at the Gabba Dance. (Courier Mail 30 October, 1950)

Photo caption: ‘You don’t have to know the language to be able to enjoy yourself dancing. New Australian Zdzila Marezynski from Poland, discovered when he danced with Dorothy Kendall, of Dutton Park, at Woolloongabba last night.’

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