Just like meJosh Betes.

Is this the end?

'It's hard being me, living here with all this going on, I work hard, I never get to see

my family, and now they are talking about sending me back to my home land, I have been here for 8 years, and now this new

federation talk is around, its all going to go to waste'

Before Federation'I was out with my mates fishing one day of

the coast of Samoa when a man in a suit came to the dock, he asked us if we

wanted to go work for him, in the sugar cane fields of Australia, and promised us a better life, and a good pay, so me and my

family packed up and left'

Upon Arrival

'After a long trip on the boat, we finally hit Australia, then we had to make our way north to some farm where Mr Whitmen lived, he was the

owner, he was our new boss. I had never worked a proper job, and I didn't even know

what to do for it, but I started work strait away'

The farm

Working on the farm was hard work, it worked from 6am in the morning right up until the sun

set at 5pm, my arms hurt, my back was in pain, but at the end of the day, I got my pay, and went

back home to see my family. My wife was working in a sowing shop with a few other

Samoan women, I didn't like to see her having to work, but she had to so we could afford the food, it was the off season, and the money for

me was slow.

The wet season

The wet season came, this was meant to be good, but I found that hard to see. It began to rain, and

rain and rain, the ground under out feet was becoming thick and muddy, it was hard to work

in, not to mention the cold and the wind that howled down the fields, all the while Mr

Whitmen sat up in his office, writing down bills and things, in the cover, while we worked.

Beginning a family.

My wife just get pregnant, this is a great thing, I have always wanted a child of my own, but the thing is when its born, she will be off work, and ill be the only money that there is for the family. I have to get a better job, working on the sugar

cane field inst enough to keep us afloat in this new country.

The word is spreading

There is talk of something happening with the country, it is meant to be coming together as one, and uniting in some form of federation, there is promise of better pay for us working

men and women, and a better life for the coming generations, but is that what we want, I just was to provide for my wife and children, and if this is going to help me then I am all behind it.

A new arrival

My son Mataui was born last night, he is the angle to my life, and the talk of the federation is true, they are getting all of the states of Australia to

unite together under one government, this is going to help me and my wife pay for the things that our new arrival is going to need, lets just hope that it

happens sooner then later.

The votes

They took a vote for the federation, so we can all come together, I went in and I voted, I am all for this new thing, but after a few days, it was seen that the votes weren't enough, it seems some

people in New South Whales don't feel the way I do about the federation.

Harsh times

The times are hard, its January 1 1900, and it's my sons fifth birthday, we didn't have enough

money to buy him a present, or even a cake, we need that federation to be passed, so we can

get him the life he needs.

Revote

They redid the votes, and it was just enough, the folk in N.S.W voted for it, the federation was passed on the 1st of January 1901, six years

after my son was born.

The Federation

The federation was finally passed, and after all I did to help it pass, I did not realise what was written in small print, we are immigrants, and illegal ones, me and my wife aren't classed as Australia's, and we aren't allowed to stay, we are being deported from Australia, along with

our son...

Back to our home

I am so annoyed at what has happened, I can't believe after working here for 8 years, me and

my family are just being kicked out of the country like this. How can this happen, we

where the people that built the country, we are the true Australians!

Betrayed

I feel so betrayed, like all iv done for the last 10 years was for an evil cause, to benefit the life of people I don't know, and destroy the lives of the people I love, this is the end for us, we have to start all over again in Samoa, but its not just us,

its for all of us, the hundreds of thousands of people just...like...me.....