Treasures from Home

Main

Exhibition SummaryTreasures from home (on display 24 August 2019 - 15 February 2020) explores the stories of local residents who arrived in Australia as migrants or refugees and showcases the belongings they brought with them. DescriptionTreasures from Home explores the personal stories of local residents who arrived in Australia as migrants or refugees and showcases the belongings they brought with them. These treasured keepsakes bring back memories of a life left behind, connecting people to a place they once called home.

The individuals featured in this exhibition all migrated in or after 1973; a watershed moment in Australia’s history when the Whitlam Labor government removed restrictions on migration and definitively renounced the so-called White Australia Policy.

From the 1970s onwards a growing number of migrants arrived from countries in South-East Asia, the Middle-East and South-America. Many of these people escaping war, persecution and political unrest decided to settle in Fairfield City and the area changed from a place of predominantly European and British migrants to Sydney’s most multicultural Local Government Area.

Treasures from Home celebrates Fairfield City’s cultural diversity and offers community members a platform to share their stories. When asked why they thought it was important to do this, the participants said:

‘It is important to share because we have become part of the history in Australia’

‘To understand the other person’s background, where they come from, will allow people to connect with each other at a human level’

‘I actually have this story, I have aspirations, I have things I want to achieve in this country, but you have to listen to me, you have got to give me the space to do it’

‘We all have a common bond, we know, we have experience of having left our countries of origins, but also the rich experiences that we have here, the opportunity and the new life that we have here’

‘[So that people] can feel a connection to it and understand it and maybe in that sense we can move forward together as a community’

By bringing together these individual stories and personal belongings, Treasures from Home provides a fresh look at the history of migration and settlement in the Fairfield area. It allows us to connect with the local community and be inspired.

Text Panel

Rougina Haifa - From Zahlé, Lebanon to Smithfield

June Ishtar Jako - From Baghdad, Iraq to Wakeley

Atem Atem - From Eastern Africa to Riverwood

Sara Bressa - From Quillota, Chile to Bossley Park

Bounkeo and Suzanne Sivieng - From Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Laos to Bossley Park and Cabramatta

Azlin Aznil - From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Auburn

Edilia Porcu - From Guichon, Uruguay to Fairfield Heights

Albert Oshana - From Baghdad, Iraq to Prairiewood

Dai Le - From Saigon, Vietnam to Fairfield City

Introduction

Video

June Ishtar Jako Oral History

Bounkeo and Suzanne Sivieng Oral History

Atem Atem Oral History

Sara Bressa Oral History

Rougina Haifa Oral History

Azlin Aznil Oral History

Edilia Porcu Oral History

Dai Le Oral History

Albert Oshana Oral History

Collection

Treasures from Home Interviews

Connections

CollectionSocial History ExhibitionsFairfield City Museum & Gallery Collection

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