DescriptionThis interview consists of three audio recordings and transcripts. Sophia Kanna was interviewed on 8 September 2003 at the Whitlam Library, Cabramatta by Marilyn Oshana. Interview SummarySophia Kanna was born at Habanya, Iraq, which was at that time a British Air base. Her mother was an Assyrian from Russia and her father an Assyrian from Iraq. Her father worked on the base during World War Two. When the British closed the base in 1954, she married and moved to Kirkuk, which was an oil base. In 1964, she and her husband Youaw Kanna migrated to Australia with their children. They were relatively well off in Iraq however they felt that they would have more freedom in Australia.
Her husband arrived 6 months earlier to find a job and Sophia and the three children followed later. They settled in Paddington at first, befriending a kind neighbour who assisted her with schooling and other initial obstacles that they encountered. She obtained employment at a company where they made paper plates (Kookaburra). Subsequently they moved to Darlinghurst before moving to Fairfield where they bought a house in 1967 for $1000. Sophia later assisted other Assyrian migrants until they found suitable accommodation.
Sophia and her family later moved to Hoxton Park where they purchased a poultry farm with 5000 chickens. She attended lectures to learn the details of poultry farming.
It was at this time that Sophia and her family decided to form groups for other Assyrians who had migrated to Australia. They had dinner parties, dances and classes to learn English. They also assisted in raising money to form a church and club. The women cooked cakes and other foods to help raise the money and some Assyrians put up their own homes as guarantors. They also formed classes to teach the Assyrian language to their children. Sophia taught Assyrian language for 12 years as a volunteer.
