Podcast Summary

Todo Concostrina – “Plan Marta”, católicas españolas migrantes para el servicio en Australia

Host: Nieves Concostrina
Date: October 15, 2025
Podcast: SER Podcast – Acontece que no es poco

Episode Overview

This episode unpacks the hidden history behind the “Plan Marta” – an official migration program in which Spanish Catholic women were sent to Australia in the early 1960s to work as domestic servants. Through her signature blend of wit and critical insight, Nieves Concostrina examines the motivations of the Church and the Francoist regime, the manipulation of the women involved, and the broader context of migration, memory, and hypocrisy in Spanish history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Memory and Migration

• Purpose: The host clarifies that the ongoing podcast series is aimed at reminding Spaniards of their own immigrant history to counter current political ignorance regarding migration.
  • [00:28] “El propósito de esta semana… era darle información a Feijóo como símbolo del desconocimiento para que cuando hable de inmigración tenga algún referente de nuestra propia historia…”
• Theme: Shifting roles—Spaniards as emigrants and as targets of expulsion.

2. “Plan Marta”: Biblical Roots and Symbolism

• Origin of the Name: The plan’s name references the biblical figure Marta, who tended to all housework while her sister, María, simply listened to Jesus.
  • [03:09] “La que curraba, la que preparaba todo para tan ilustre visitante... era Marta, mientras que María... no daba palo al agua... Se sentaba a los pies de su invitado y le escuchaba hablar.”
• Significance: This narrative justified the relegation of “Martas” to domestic service—serving others in silence.

3. Uncovering the Forgotten Plan

• Sources & Rediscovery: The story resurfaced thanks to authors and researchers like Ignacio García, Natalia Ortiz, and Celia Santos, but was largely unknown outside those directly affected.
  • [04:39] “Es otra de esas historias de la idílica dictadura... porque con Franco se vivía mejor y que se ha conocido cuando alguien lo ha puesto negro sobre blanco.”

4. The Australian and Spanish Contexts

Australia’s Motives

• Population Rebuilding: Post-WWII, Australia sought to replenish its white population following war casualties and emigration to Britain.
• The ‘White Australia Policy’: Official, explicit objective to encourage white European migration and exclude Asians.
  • [08:38] “Sí, sí, Política de la Australia Blanca, como pronuncio fatal La White Australia Policy… Querían una Australia blanca.”
• Church Motives: The Catholic Church sought to boost its numbers in a majority Protestant country.

Spain under Franco

• Lack of Diplomatic Relations: The plan was covertly negotiated by the Catholic hierarchy due to Spain’s isolation.
• Manipulation and Gender: Selection favored young, single women (21–35), seen as both servant material and potential “client producers” (future Catholic mothers).

5. Recruitment, Preparation, and Reality

Recruitment & Indoctrination

• Process: Women were “recruited, manipulated y adoctrinadas” but not technically forced.
  • [10:20] “No fueron obligadas a ir, solo fueron reclutadas, manipuladas y adoctrinadas.”
• Preparation: Staging in monastic residences, cursory language kits, and a basic manual on how to operate domestic appliances unfamiliar to them.

Life upon Arrival

• Reception: Arrived in Melbourne, received by clergy, immediately allocated via a literal badge indicating destination for domestic placement.
  • [11:00] “Las recibía un cura y las llevaban a todas a la catedral... les ponían una chapa en la solapa indicando el sitio al que les tocaba ir.”
• ‘Hiring Day’: “Las señoras australianas iban a elegir sirvienta como si aquello fuera una feria de ganas.” [11:33]

6. The Betrayal and Hardship

• Broken Promises: Contracts were misleading and not legally binding, language barriers isolated the women, and their social life was almost non-existent.
  • [11:49] “Dicho a las claras, aquello fue una estafa. Qué raro, viniendo los católicos... Un peñazo insufrible.”
• No Return Ticket: The “free” passage was one way; return journeys were unaffordable.
• Improvisation and Resilience: Many women sought other employment (factories, hospitality, hospitals) and looked for romantic partners to secure their future.

7. Broader Reflections and Contemporary Relevance

• Parallel to Current Migration: Concostrina sharply points out the hypocrisy of contemporary Spanish attitudes toward immigrants, comparing the fate of the “Martas” to modern-day newcomers.
  • [12:54] “A lo mejor esto le suena a la ultraderecha del PP. Son los mismos trabajos que ahora realizan los inmigrantes que tanto les molestan.”
• Closed with Irony: The host suggests this forgotten history is a necessary lesson for present-day politicians and society.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:09] Nieves Concostrina: “La que curraba, la que preparaba todo para tan ilustre visitante... era Marta, mientras que María... no daba palo al agua.”
• [08:38] Nieves Concostrina: “Política de la Australia Blanca... Querían una Australia blanca.”
• [10:20] Nieves Concostrina: “No fueron obligadas a ir, solo fueron reclutadas, manipuladas y adoctrinadas.”
• [11:33] Nieves Concostrina: “Las señoras australianas iban a elegir sirvienta como si aquello fuera una feria de ganas.”
• [11:49] Nieves Concostrina: “Dicho a las claras, aquello fue una estafa. Qué raro, viniendo los católicos...”
• [12:54] Nieves Concostrina: “A lo mejor esto le suena a la ultraderecha del PP. Son los mismos trabajos que ahora realizan los inmigrantes que tanto les molestan.”

Key Timestamps

• [00:28] Series purpose and context about migration.
• [01:36] The “Plan Marta” explained: name and biblical justification.
• [04:39] Rediscovery of the plan after decades in obscurity.
• [05:33] Why Australia wanted Spanish migrants; role of White Australia Policy.
• [08:38] Details on the “White Australia Policy” and Church-state maneuvering.
• [10:20] Recruitment, preparation, and limiting criteria for participants.
• [11:33] The “market” for domestic servants and participant hardship.
• [12:54] Modern parallels; irony of Spanish attitudes towards migrants.

Tone & Style

Concostrina maintains a critical, irreverent tone, using humor and sarcasm to highlight the absurdity, injustice, and hypocrisy at the heart of the story. She weaves personal anecdotes with historical research to keep the narrative grounded, lively, and highly accessible.

Conclusion

This episode exposes a little-known chapter of Spanish and Australian history, dismantling myths about Spanish prosperity and the benevolence of institutional actors like the Church and Franco’s regime. By reframing the historical migration of Spaniards as “Martas,” Concostrina challenges listeners to empathize with modern migrants and to recognize the cyclical nature of ignorance, manipulation, and exploitation in migration stories.