Arrival in Sydney

Charles and Claire departed Shanghai on July 1, 1946. The entire process of boarding and sailing within the territorial waters of China was filled with anxiety. "Perhaps some drunken soldiers and custom officals would confiscate our suitcases on one pretext or another. With great apprehension did we board the ship on July 1, 1946.^{SS 210-70}

Now slowly the soil of China receded before our very eyes. Now we were outside territorial waters and no police launch with marauding soldiers could board our ship and take our belongings. At last we are free. And as we sailed into a beautiful blue ocean Claire and I embraced each other and kissed each other and felt that all the unhappiness, all the waiting, and all the fighting were worthwhile. We had made it, and now we are making our dash into freedom. We sailed on for 14 days without going near any port when at last the coast of Australia came into view. Very early at 6 a.m. we entered beautiful Sydney harbour. The doctor came on board and soon we cast anchor at the Wooloomooloo wharf and there was Karl. and Mary, and my old friend Ungar from Kremenezky and his wife.^{SS 210-71}

On this very first day in Australia, Semantography (still called World Writing) comes to the fore.

But before we could go ashore our cabin was invaded by a number of reporters who made frantic notes when I expounded Semantography to them. I did not know that the captain had singled me out as the most interesting passenger and sure enough the afternoon papers brought stories about me and my world writing. I was in the seventh heaven. I believed that I and my work will be taken on with open arms by Sydney University. And so in the highest of spirits we felt the soil of Australia under our feet and soon were whisked away over the Harbour Bridge into the North Shore with its beautiful suburbs and cottages.^{(SS 210-70)} .

Charles invests in real estate and plans to take the next year to write a book about Semantography.

Karl introduced me to all his friends. He arranged a number of parties where I showed my movies of Shanghai and my movie about the “Unfinished Symphony”. The idea of all these introductions was that I might perhaps find a businessman and go with him into partnership. But I had other ideas. I wanted to write first my book on my “World writing”, which I later called Semantography. I thought that one year would be sufficient time to write it. In the meantime we could live on our money. ^{(SS 210-72)} .

And from another source:

We left Shanghai for Australia on the 1st July 1946. I had some modest savings made and so I said good-bye to China and the Chinese, who indeed had given my life a new direction. Arrived in Australia I had to decide about my future. I could go into industry, I could set up a modest business, but my heart was set at my idea and the cheers of the Rotarians were still in my ears. I decided to use my savings to study the matter thoroughly and then to write my book, I thought it would take me 1 year. It took me 5 years. Instead of 1 book 5 large volumes emerged. I had to work it out in detail in order to show that my work is not a mere scheme only. ^{(SS 58-3)} .

Charles and Claire's first Australian home: 5 Maroubra Bay Road, Pagewood, Sydney