Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations to Tammy Nguyen, who was named Volunteer of the Year at the Victorian Museum and Galleries Awards for her tireless work on the Vietnamese Museum of Australia. When it is completed in 2025, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first boats from Vietnam, it will be Australia's first museum to focus on the incredible journey of the entire community and their contribution to this nation since they arrived. The museum is particularly close to Tammy's heart. Tammy was a girl when her family fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. She was one of more than 1.4 million Vietnamese who took to the sea in overcrowded unseaworthy boats. Up to 600,000 people lost their lives undertaking this perilous journey. After spending time in Indonesia's Galang refugee camp, Tammy and her family were eventually resettled in Australia.

Between 1975 and 1995 Australia welcomed more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees who all have stories to share about overcoming adversity, seizing opportunities and remaining resilient in the most challenging of times. Tammy hopes the museum becomes a place where people can come to reflect, remember and learn and to feel a sense of belonging. Above all, Tammy says that she hopes the museum will serve as a symbol of hope for anyone facing adversity. Congratulations to Tammy, to the of directors of the museum and to all the people who are working so hard to bring to life the Vietnamese Museum of Australia.