New BBC drama Ten Pound Poms follows the grim lives of Brits who emigrated to Australia in the 1950s – but real life ten-pound poms John Smith and Cliff Skinner lived it for real.

And if there were grim moments, the Maidstone lads enjoyed the adventure a little more than their TV counterparts, going on to find new lives for themselves Down Under.

Both just 16-years-old, John and Cliff had both been working for a short time in Maidstone after leaving school, when they decided to set out on the long voyage to Australia, on the old ship SS Ormonde, in July 1960.

The pair had been friends since they attended Plains Avenue Primary School, now called Park Way Primary School, and South Borough School, but had attended different secondary schools – John going to Maidstone Grammar School and Cliff to the Technical School for Boys.

But they remained friends, and having experienced five years of war in their young lives, both were eager to start a new life somewhere, in sunnier climes.

The duo wrote away to Australia House in London and other international bodies to see what the opportunities were, and to find an organisation that would nominate them.

Brochures on Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other destinations, offered tantalising glimpses of possible new lives around the world, but they finally agreed to head for Tasmania, Australia’s Island State.

It didn’t take too long before they were nominated by the Big Brother Youth Migration Movement, a well-respected organisation in London that found places on Australian farms for British lads, who became known as ‘Little Brothers’ under the scheme.

And so, in July 1950 they set sail with 21 other lads accompanied by a Commonwealth Escort Officer on The Ormonde – which had transported thousands of British troops in both world wars – stopping at fascinating ports en route.

“We ate our first coconut in Sri Lanka,” recalled Cliff. “It was a very exciting voyage for both of us.

“When we arrived in Tasmania, penniless and with just a couple of old suitcases, in August 1950, we were sent to work on farms in the Northwest of the State. Both of us worked on dairy and sheep farms and enjoyed the work.”

“The people there were very kind to us. The northwest of Tasmania is a beautiful area and many of the farms there are quite small compared with some of the very large properties in mainland Australia.”

Unfortunately, for Cliff, his life on the farm came to an abrupt end in 1952 when he was compulsorily called up into the Australian National Military Service during the cold war period and the war in Korea.

He wasn’t discharged from his service responsibility for a number of years, and was later awarded the Australian Defence Medal (ADM), the National Service Medal and the Veterans badge.

Cliff went on to become a long-time member of the Military Service Organisation in Australia (RSL), as well as an honorary member of the Royal British Legion in Britain, and was awarded a plaque by the RBL for his Commonwealth military service on one of his trips back to Britain.

But the adventure didn’t stop there. The lads eventually moved to the cities and John finished up with his own florist shop and plant nursery in Sydney, while Cliff went on to study at the University of Melbourne, initially graduating with a Town Planning degree.

Cliff continued with post graduate studies in both Town Planning and Architecture, and was granted 12 months leave of absence by the Australian Government to go to Britain to undertake further research studies at major universities.

“When I look back now, I can hardly believe my good fortune,” added Cliff. “I was encouraged by many of my friends to undertake all these studies. After graduating, I enjoyed a long and happy career with the Australian Federal Government.”

Cliff and John retired many years ago. John retired to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania and did many years of voluntary work there and Cliff remained in Melbourne, also much involved with voluntary work. Throughout the years they kept in regular contact, and while they’d both achieved a great deal in their lives, the great adventure of 1950 was always a talking point.

Sadly, John passed away after a long illness in 2022, at almost 90 years of age.

“He loved his life in Tasmania and had many Tasmanian friends,” added Cliff. “He always referred to Tasmania as his own little piece of paradise.”

Today, Cliff lives in a lovely bayside area of Melbourne in Victoria with his wife Helen, surrounded by their five children and eight grandchildren, and has plans to celebrate his 90th birthday with family and friends in just a few weeks.

“John and I returned to Britain on a number of occasions but we agreed that going on our big adventure in 1950 was the best thing we ever did,” said Cliff. “But, we have always retained a great affection for the land of our birth and have greatly enjoyed returning to see family and friends.”

And he added: “I wonder if any readers will remember the Skinner family from Maidstone. It seems amazing that John and I left the UK so long ago.”