IN January 1955 the Masson family set off from the other side of the world to travel to a place called Nowra in Australia, where a new paper mill was being built.
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Along with 20 other families, who worked for Wiggins Teape in Dartford, Kent, they boarded a boat for the month-long journey.
At the time it was a great adventure for seven-year-old Keith, who travelled with his parents Stan and Edna and his five-year-old brother Alan.
Little did he know that journey would change his life forever and establish an association with the Shoalhaven Paper Mill that would last more than 60 years until its closure this week.
“When we left England, there was snow on the ground. When we arrived in Australia it was 40 degrees. That was a shock,” Mr Masson said.
“We had two suitcases and a big wooden travel chest with all our possessions in it – that was all.”
The journey saw the families travel via Naples, the Suez Canal, Colombo, across the Indian Ocean to Fremantle, Melbourne and eventually Sydney.
They were among families such as the Frenches, Dinnies, Ludlows, Diamonds, Knowles and Taylors, who went on to make the mill, in its heyday, one of the biggest employers in the area.
“We were bussed to Nowra and each family was given a house,” he said.
“It was a big culture shock for us, especially Mum. We came from one of the biggest towns in England to Nowra, which had just 5000 people.
“Mum got terribly homesick in that first week but she bucked up and got on with it.”
Both his parents worked at the mill.
His father was a baterman, responsible for preparing the paper for making and a colourman. His mother taught others how to sort paper by hand, finding imperfections, and was later a supervisor.
“When we arrived the No 1 machine wasn’t even installed and Dad worked with the fitters to help get it running,” he said.
In 1962, after finishing school, Keith joined the company as an apprentice fitter, and two years later Alan started as an apprentice electrician.
Alan finished at the mill not long after completing his apprenticeship, Keith stayed until 1976 and their father until around 1978 but the family kept its ties with the operation.
“Coming to Nowra was the best thing that ever happened to us. Mum and Dad wanted to come here to give us a better life,” he said.
“They could not have picked a better place.
“We had lots of good times and made some great friend thanks to the mill.
“It is sad to see it closing.”
