NAA: A1, 1916/10246

Rubinstein, Ceśka

Digital copy - 34417

Details

Occupation as written	Manfacturers and Importers of Toilet Preparations
Standardised occupation	MF24: Manufacturing - Dress sundries
Application received	15 Apr 1915
Application status	Approved
Official	LTF
Date of approval or denial	17 May 1916
If rejected, why?
Birthplace as written	Krakow, Russia (not Austria)
Modern country	Poland
Age on application	27
Age on arrival in Australia	19
Port of Departure	Krakow
Port of Arrival	Melbourne
Date of arrival	28 Sep 1906
Name of ship	Karlsruhe
Voyage	Karlsruhe (1906-09-28)

Addresses

Address in Australia	274 Collins St Melbourne
Address State	Victoria
Time at address

Family

Married	No
Children	No

References

Name of reference	Harry Courtney Bix
Occupation of reference	Justice of the Peace (Victoria)
Marginalia description
Police report attached	Yes
Link to other applicant
Literate	Yes

Why are they applying?

Reason	other
Other information	She’s gone to the dept in person several times, as sister already naturalised and ‘feels her position very acutely’. Mr J.G. Gates, representative in Australia of Messrs. Jas. Spicer & Sons, Paper Manufacturers, also called recently and asked whether special consideration could not be given’ as she was particularly affected by the ban on enemy subjects holding shares.

Further comments

Miswritten on NAA database as Elska.
Russian (Austrian Pole, Russian Father, see below).
From Krakow, but considers herself Russian, NOT AUSTRIAN. ‘Austrian Poland has only been under Austrian Rule through annexation- and has been a long suffering country.’ (p.12, 31/3/16). Clearly some difficulty proving nationality, as she wrote to Hunt, 12/4/1916 (p.4): sent letter to her sister in NY asking where their father was from and reply is Lublin Russia. Also statutory declaration from her uncle (p.8 – he was naturalised in Australia over 20 years before, see also p.12). ‘These I trust will fully substantiate my claims to be a Russian subject as it is most resentful being classed as an enemy of Russia and the British Crown… Poland was a much illused [sic] Country’. Russian pencilled in at the bottom of page. On o.7, she even included a cutout from a newspaper of a speech from Asquith about the bad treatment of Prussia towards Polish people (underlining in red the bits she thought relevant to her own case).
Her to Hunt, 31 March 1916, p.13: ‘I landed in Australia a mere girl and did not realise the important of becoming naturalized in the Country I was making my Home in, as perhaps would have appeared to a man with greater knowledge of business affairs… My relatives at home are fighting under the Russian flag.’ (final sentence hand written at bottom, rest of letter typed.
Memorandum, DEA, 5/4/16 (p.11): applied originally in 1915 but not treated as exceptional. This is her applying again and asking ‘that her application should receive special consideration’. She’s gone to the dept in person several times, as sister already naturalised and ‘feels her position very acutely’. Mr J.G. Gates, representative in Australia of Messrs. Jas. Spicer & Sons, Paper Manufacturers, also called recently and asked whether special consideration could not be given’ as she was particularly affected by the ban on enemy subjects holding shares. He praised her and drew attention to his own reputation, referring to the work her had done for the Attorney-General’s office and Crown Solicitior’s Office. Handwritten below by AH that she is now 28, 10 years residence. If nationality confirmed, then happy to proceed.