Black and White photograph, three passengers on the deck of migrant ship MV NAPOLI as it moves up Sydney Harbour. The Harbour Bridge can be seen in the background.

Migration

If your cultural heritage is from over the seas, then learn about how we collect, celebrate and share the diverse immigrant experiences that contribute to Australia’s vibrant society.

The history of Australia is a story of journeys. People came across the seas searching for a place where they could belong.

They joined those who already belonged to the bamal (earth) and badu (waters) of Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

With them, they brought hundreds of different cultural and linguistic traditions. Their journeys were sometimes peaceful and sometimes violent.  

The Australian National Maritime Museum invites you to follow these stories that shaped this island nation.  

Do you have an immigration story to tell? Email us at Curator@sea.museum  

Blue Fishing Boat. Standing on board are the Lu family members who came to Australia from Vietnam as refugees on board the boat. They are scattering flower petals into the harbour in celebration.

TỰ DO

Black and white photo showing 2 men standing next to a wall which has the word Australia and the outline of a kangaroo drawn on it.

Coming to belong - Australia's immigration history

A few frequently asked questions

Faces of Migration - Migration Stories

Migration Stories

Australia’s National Monument to Migration

Two people in front of the National Monument to Migration
Female in front of  the National Monument

Find your Monument entry

Looking for a name on the National Monument to Migration wall? Use our search tool to find your or a loved one's name as well as their position on the wall. 

Black and white photo on yellowed paper showing A young girl and a woman are pictured standing behind the railing on the deck of a ship. The girl wears a large bow in her hair.

We Are Many - Stories of Australia's Migrants

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SS TOSCANA

These photographs were taken by the Australian immigration official John Hamilton Byrne in Trieste, Italy. Byrne directed an immigration office in Trieste that assessed refugees for potential migration to Australia. The photos are circa 1956 or 1957 and show migrants boarding the SS TOSCANA, a Lloyd Triestino vessel. While propaganda and staged photographs of migrants preparing to travel to Australia are not unusual, these are photos taken spontaneously. Byrne still was able to frame his subject well, and the slides provide an excellent, concentrated overview over immigration in the 1950s in the city of Trieste.

See more in the collection

Search our collection for immigration objects

The CHARLOTTE Medal, a silver disc engraved on both sides. This photograph shows engraved a fully-rigged ship, the sun is near the horizon line on the lower left whilst a crescent moon and stars are inscribed on the upper right. Above are inscribed the words 'The CHARLOTTE at anchor / in Botany Bay / Jany. th 20, / 1788'.

The Charlotte Medal

Tự Do Reference Group

The museum has assembled a group of experts and community representatives to support and guide its efforts around the refugee vessel Tự Do. The members meet twice a year to provide non-binding advice for preserving and presenting this unique migration object.  

  • Dr Dacchi Dang, Artist, Sydney
  • Dr Anh Nguyen Austen, Academic, Melbourne
  • Angela Wong, PhD Student, Sydney
  • Paige Taylor, Curator, Darwin
  • Nathan Pharaoh, Conservator, Canberra
  • Julie Ly, Businesswoman, Sydney
  • Dr Tran Nguyen, Doctor, Sydney