What is it that Australians celebrate on 26 January? Significantly, many of them are not quite sure what event they are commemorating. Their state of mind fascinated Egon Kisch, an inquisitive Czech who was in Sydney at the end of January 1935. Kisch has a place in our history as the victim, or hero, of a ludicrous chapter in the history of our immigration laws. He had been invited to Melbourne for a Congress against War and Fascism, and was forbidden to land by order of the attorney-general, R. G. Menzies. He had jumped overboard, broken his leg, gone to hospital, failed a dictation test in Gaelic and been sentenced to imprisonment and deportation. When the High Court declared Gaelic not a language, Kisch was free to hobble on our soil..K.S. Inglis
About This Quote
Egon Kisch (January, 1935) was an interesting man, who was not afraid of the authorities, and would not hesitate to challenge them. He was also very active in politics, which is what led to him being labeled an “enemy alien” during World War II. This label made it very hard for him to leave Australia.
Source: Observing Australia: 1959III1999
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