Seventeen, North Wharf

In the aftermath of World War II, thousands migrated to Australia in search of peaceful, healthy lives, and further great waves of migrants arrived as international postwar events took their toll. Conflicts in the Middle East, the Hungarian uprising of 1956, the Prague Spring of 1968 and the Troubles in Northern Ireland eroded their citizens' faith in their futures and led them into unknown prospects in Australia. Many of these people first set foot in Australia on docks around the country, including the famous Seventeen, North Wharf in Melbourne. Tom Valenta offers a selection of the stories of the millions of people who settled after the end of the war in 1945 and through to the late 1960s. All are stories of success - of people who faced the challenges of rebuilding their lives and made significant and enduring contributions to the nation.