Michal Keller was born in Zahutyn, Poland in 1911 to Wojciech Keller and Anna Szczndlik.

 

He went to school in Tlumacz, Stanislawow, Poland (now a part of the Ukraine) from 1918 to 1926.  Why did he go to school so far away?  I am not sure.​Prior to war breaking out in Poland, Michal was a founder, employed by Sanockiej Fabryce Autobusów (SFA) in Sanok.  They were a fabricator of autobuses and are considered one of the oldest companies in Poland.  ​Michal didn't work for the period 1939 to 1940 - in fact SFA's factory did not operate at this time, as the Germans seized the plant.

 

The next employment entry on Michal's Resettlement Registration shows him commencing work in Angersdorf, Germany as a mine worker and then blacksmith for the duration of the war.  Poles that were rounded up from areas which included Zahutyn (an area which was known as Galicia), were termed Ostarbeiter, meaning Eastern Worker.  They were gathered to perform forced labour in Germany during the war, given starvation rations and forced to live in guarded camps.​From 1945 to 1946 an interesting entry appears on Michal's employment list - Secretary of the Police Chief in Wasseralfingen, Germany.  There was a displaced persons camp in Wasseralfingen and all camps had an administration team along with camp police.  It is likely this means that Michal was working for the camp police chief.​

 

Michal's next year was spent working as a lumberman in Schwäbisch Gmünd.  This was also a displaced persons camp, for Latvian and Polish persons.  The following year he was a labourer in the same camp.  His final camp stay in Europe was noted as Boeblingen, Germany.  Finally, he was about to embark on a new life.

 

​He arrived in Fremantle on 21 July 1949 on the SS Amarapoora from the port of Taranto in Italy. ​On arrival in Australia, Michal first lived in the Immigration Centre at Graylands and the Department of Army in Swanbourne before heading to Wittenoom in mid-1950.  As part of the Displaced Persons Scheme, Michal spent time working at Wittenoom in the North West of Australia, which was an asbestos fibre mining town, later becaming notorious for causing the deaths of many of its workers.  Michal was a blacksmith by trade.  After Wittenoom, Michal also spent 12 and a half years working for the Royal Australian Engineers, Australian Military Forces at their Irwin Barracks Training Centre, Karrakatta and later for the Water Board. A reference from the Australian Military Forces notes "give him a piece of metal and he can work wonders with it".​He was also proficient at joinery, wood turning and wrought iron work and loved gardening - perhaps this is where Vodek picked up his love of gardening.​

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Michal married Lucyna in late December 1951 and Vodek took his surname when he became naturalised.  It is unclear whether Michal ever formally adopted Vodek.​

 

He was a lovely (and very stylish) man and he could speak Polish, German, Czech & Ukranian - as well as English.​Michal died in Perth, Western Australia on the 29th of April 1977, from a stroke, however he had spent a considerable amount of time in hospital possibly for a lung related issue.  This prompts speculation as to whether his illness was related to his time at Wittenoom.