History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

David Green was from Knockmullin, New Ross, Ireland. He married Mary Ronan, also from New Ross and they had 11 children. They came to London during the War and by 1949 were living at No.1 Lanhill Road, near the Chippenham Road. They had moved near Paddington Recreational Ground, renting a cramped two rooms and a kitchen at 168 Kilburn Park Road (since demolished), when they emigrated to Australia in 1956 on the “10-pound Poms” assisted passage which required them to stay there for two years. The cost was £10 per adult, the children travelled free.    The Greens sailed on SS Strathnaver and arrived in Fremantle on 7 July 1956, and then travelled on to Ballarat, (about 70 miles from Melbourne). Molly soon found she was unhappy with life in Australia. She said it did not stop raining in the promised ‘land of sunshine’. ‘We imagined Australia, being a young and growing country, would be progressive. Instead, it’s so quiet here in Ballarat, it’s just like Ireland.’ In Austr...