As Australian government upholds a "tough" stand on asylum-seekers, a remarkable decades-old story of humanitarian spirit has emerged, Luke Waters reports.
In 1983, a Jewish family sought refuge in Australia after hearing they were being pursued by Nazis, in Vienna.
The father, Hans Glaser, contacted a relative believed to have migrated to Australia.
"[He] wrote them a letter in German, put in photos of the family and explained that if the recipient happened to be the Uncle Bora that had moved out and was the relative could he please help out," grandson, Yonatan Glaser said.
One of the letters gained a response after it found its way to a dinner party and into the hands of former Prime Minister, Harold Holt.
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Holt called the then-immigration minister and organised for the family to come to Australia.
"The next thing we knew in Austria is we get this telegram saying your permit is arranged, we got your letter, everything's organised," Walter Glaser said.
The story inspired Walter Glaser's Australian-raised son, Yonatan, to develop an advocacy program for refugees and asylum seekers around the world, particularly in Israel, where he now lives.
