The Daniels family, Andrew, his older sister and their parents, decided to leave Cyprus sometime between 1948 and 1949. His parents came to the decision after his father helped out a British colonel who had forgotten a satchel of money at the restaurant.
- The family moved to Australia from British Cyprus with the help of a British colonel
- In Australia, Mr Daniel’s is migrant background caused other kids to unsuccessfully try and bully him
- He has worked for decades in many areas of the construction industry and particularly enjoyed litigation work
Mr Andrew’s father found the satchel and returned it to the colonel. He in turn decided he owed the man and so warned him that things in the island, which back then was a British Colony, would soon ‘’turn nasty’’. With the colonel acting as their sponsor, they moved to Australia as Mr Andrews’s mother had family in the country.
Once off the boat, the family initially stayed with relatives and eventually settled in Maroubra. Young Andrew started school. Being a migrant, initially he became the target of attempted bullying.
The Daniels Family in Alexandria, 1950 Source: Supplied/Andrew Michael Daniels
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‘’I quickly learned two English words and those were ‘I Bash’ because they tried to bully me. They found out not only I was stronger than them, but I was also faster than them’’ said Mr Daniels.
However, his prowess in sports made him accepted.
‘’By the time I put football boots on, I was accepted. Because I’m Aussie. It’s strange, how something like that changes things’’ said Mr Daniels.
His name, and his story are now part of the Welcome Wall, along with the names of many other migrants who came to Australia for a better life. It was the idea of his wife, as she had placed the name of her father there previously.
After school he attended Sydney Technical College where he studied Engineering Surveying and followed that up with studying Architecture at UTS, or as it was know back then, New South Wales Institute of Technology.
The Welcome Wall, in Darling Harbour, Sydney Source: AAP
His career has spawned decades and he has worked in various parts of the construction industry. From constructing buildings to litigation work.
‘’I’ve done a lot of litigation work in all facets of the courts, from district court to the Supreme Court, and that was very rewarding for me’’.
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Daniels family in 1949 Source: Supplied/Andrew Michael Daniels
