Emigrant House Elvira

During the years 1871-1929 approximately 366 000 Finns moved out of Finland, most of them to the United States and Canada. Around 1 500 Finns went to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. ...

During the years 1871-1929 approximately 366 000 Finns moved out of Finland, most of them to the United States and Canada. Around 1 500 Finns went to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The focus of the Emigrant House Elvira is on emigration and its effects on the region. A small, but functioning museum is located here, together with premises for emigrant and local history research as well as overnighting possibilities for the emigrants or their relatives. The photographs and items recount the story of an emigrant, Elvira Sundell, who emigrated from Finland to New Zealand in 1917.

The Emigrant House Elvira has its roots in the emigrant life of Elvira Sundell. Elvira devised a part of her property to the Vexala byafroskare r.f. village research association, in order for them to erect a house in memory of Elvira and her father Edward Sundell.
Elvira was an experienced traveler already at an early age. She was born in South Africa in 1912 and spent her summers in Runtas, Vexala at her relatives’ house. In 1917 she moved to New Zealand with her Ostrobothnian parents and brother. There she continued her studies for a couple of years and after that worked at her family’s sheep farm. As one part of the farm life she for instance rode with a gun in her hand and hunted the boars, who attacked the young sheep.

When she was over 70 years old, she sold the farm and went abroad in order to visit all the places, that she had read about in her youth. She returned to her birth region in South Africa, traveled around South America and Africa, visited the Galapagos islands, Alaska, Hawaii and Far East.

Some of the items, that belonged to Elvira and her father Edward, still remain in the Emigrant House Elvira. Edward was a skilled carpenter, and on display in the emigrant house are for instance his toolbox and stools, which he repaired himself. In the full photo album can be seen farm life, but there are also some pictures of the family’s relatives in the album.

The emigrant history of the Sundell family is intriguing and demonstrates, how and why the adventurous Ostrobothnians traveled abroad. In the Vexala village archive situated in the Emigrant House one can explore some emigrant fates and the old way of living in the home region. Visiting emigrants can overnight in the house and the house can also be rented for meetings and festivities.