Since he was a child, Paul Klemick has been passionate about unearthing his Polish ancestry.
This interest has become a lifelong pursuit of connecting with others in New Zealand who share a similar lineage.
Mr Klemick, who was born and raised in Dunedin, has also taken part in Polish community events and is actively involved with research that aims to uncover more information about settler immigrants such as Jackson Bay.
He recently attended the Jackson Bay 150th anniversary celebration in Haast, where he was one of many representing the Polish community.
Mr Klemick’s research has now led to a book — Poles Down South — along with a website that outlines Polish family genealogy.
His vision for the project was to allow other Polish New Zealanders to connect with each other and learn more about their own history, a luxury Mr Klemick felt he didn’t have growing up.
"These people were forgotten and had lost their identity," Mr Klemick said, noting how inspired he was by his ancestors’ journey.
At the age of 18, Mr Klemick’s great-great grandfather arrived in Lyttelton Harbour in 1874along with many otherPoles aboard the Gutenburg.
Reflecting on their experiences, Mr Klemick imagined the countless obstacles they would have faced in their attempt to make a life in a new land.
"They were trying to make sense of the new world," he said.
Everything from the change in seasons to learning English would have required a great deal of perseverance and adaptability.
While Mr Klemick believed his ancestors were happy to be in a country where they had more freedom, their new lives were not without hardships.
"That’s why they were all in a community," he said, describing the early Polish immigrants as having been very close-knit.
The research Mr Klemick continues to gather has gone a long way to not only connect people to their roots but also to bring perspective on the concept of immigration.
Through his work, Mr Klemick has found what his forefathers went through was a universal experience for any group migrating for the sake of a better life.
