DescriptionThis interview consists of three audio recordings and transcripts. Isaac Youkhana was interviewed on 9 September 2003 at the Whitlam Library, Cabramatta by Marilyn Oshana. Interview SummaryIsaac Youkhana was born in Kirkuk in Iraq on 31 December 1935. His father was Warda Youkhana and his mother Esmer Youkhana. His parents had migrated from the North of Iraq to Kirkuk which was an oil rich city. The family were Assyrian Christians. Isaac was schooled to the age of 12 and then applied to work with the Iraq Petroleum Company. He worked initially as an apprentice clerk and rose to become a driller. He remained with the company for nearly 30 years. He married Nasucana in 1960 and started a family with her.
After the 1958 revolution, life in Iraq became harder for Christians. His interview tells in detail of the occasion when Assyrians were the targets of poisoning by mustard gas under the command of Saddam Hussein. It was at this time that the family decided to leave Iraq for safety and freedom of religion. Australia was their choice as they had heard that many Assyrians had already migrated there.
They received permission to migrate in April 1967 and traveled by ship. Their trip took them from Baghdad to Beirut in Lebanon and from there to Port Said where they boarded the Italian ship Achille Lauro. Isaac and his family were most impressed with the ship and he speaks at length of how they lived whilst on board. They arrived in Fremantle 3 weeks later on 28 April 1967, and then sailed to Melbourne before arriving in Sydney.
In Sydney they were welcomed by other Assyrians and were given temporary accommodation. Later they found rental accommodation and then purchased their own home near Westfield High School, Fairfield West, an area where there were mainly farms. Isaac had obtained employment at Comalco Aluminium at Yennora, and remained there until he was retrenched 29 years later. There were many Assyrians in the Fairfield City area and the family settled in relatively well.
Isaac and his family became very involved with the Assyrian community and saw the expansion of their culture with the erection of the Assyrian Club and later with their church. He was instrumental in the formation of the Nineveh Club and an influential member of the Assyrians community.
Isaac has held high positions in various Assyrian clubs and organisations in Australia. He believes that the Assyrian culture, language and religion should be retained as he believes that they are all an important part of Australia’s future.
Isaac Youkhana Oral History. Fairfield City Heritage Collection, accessed 09/03/2026, https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1361
