Hopes and Fears: Australian Migration Stories
Opening 26 July in the Temporary Gallery
Many Australians have a migration story. Somewhere in their family tree is an ancestor who embarked on a long and difficult journey. They might have been a convict, a sailor or a soldier. Perhaps a young woman sent from a workhouse, or a child migrant from an orphanage. Some came to exploit the opportunities of empire, in search of land and gold. Some were brought in as indentured labourers to work on plantations in the tropical north. Others were refugees fleeing war and political prosecution, or workers seeking a more secure future. Coming from all parts of the globe, these migrants have helped to make Australia one of the most diverse nations in the world.