Vietnamese Museum Australia was unveiled on Saturday, constructed on a council car park in Sunshine. Victorian Premier Ben Carroll officially opened the centre alongside MPs from across the political divide. Both the federal and Victorian governments contributed millions to the project, alongside grassroots community contributions.
Tammy Nguyen, the museum's chief executive, said her parents escaped Vietnam on a perilous six-day, seven-night boat journey. "There are more than 350,000 people of Vietnamese-origin living in Australia and everyone has their own unique story to tell," Ms Nguyen said. "This museum is a living monument to all those who courageously left their homeland behind — often as refugees on overcrowded and unseaworthy boats — seeking freedom and a better future."
Liberal MP Trung Luu, who represents the Western Metropolitan Region in the state's upper house and came to Australia as a refugee from Vietnam, said the opening was deeply personal. "This museum honours the courage of every family who made that journey," he said.
University of Melbourne development studies professor Lan Anh Hoang noted that public attitudes towards Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s and 1980s were mixed as the nation adjusted to life post-White Australia policy. "In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Saigon, there was a great deal of sympathy and compassion, particularly because of Australia's own involvement in the war," she said.
The museum recognizes the transformation from a time when Vietnam was known mainly for war and conscription to the present day, where Vietnamese culture is woven into Australian life.