The Corsica

In this book, Constantinos Emmanuelle explores the infamous and harrowing journey of a migrant ship called the Corsica and its maiden and only voyage from Cyprus to Australia in 1951. The book documents the living memories of fifty-six Cypriots who were on the ship. With great emotion and clarity the passengers share their stories, including their hopes and dreams as well as their fears and trauma as they travelled on the dilapidated ship in search of the 'lucky country' known as Australia. In truth, the Corsica should never have been commissioned as a migrant ship. It was old and rusting, leaning to one side, with engine failure and carrying a cargo of rotten potatoes and onions. 'The stench was unforgettable," says one passenger. 'It was the ship from hell,' says another. Since launching his cultural heritage project called 'Tales of Cyprus' in 2012, Constantinos has interviewed over 200 elderly Cypriots who were born in the 1920s and 30s. Many of those Cypriots were migrants who left Cyprus after the Second World War to escape poverty and financial hardship, including many passengers who travelled on the Corsica. They left Cyprus to seek their fortune and perhaps a better life in countries such as England, America, Canada and Australia. Most of passengers interviewed for this book were aged in their eighties and nineties - but they never forgot their fateful journey on the Corsica.