MATTERS OF INTEREST

REFUGEE EXHIBITION

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:31): During the month of May, history month, History SA scheduled many events to celebrate, acknowledge and promote our state's history. I had the pleasure of attending the exhibition, Refugees and Australia, 1972-2012, to represent the Premier, the Hon. Jay Weatherill. The Hon. Jing Lee from this chamber was also present.

The exhibition traces the history of peoples from countries as diverse as Vietnam, Poland, Chile, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Somalia who have come to Australia as refugees in the 40-year period since 1972. The panels feature stories of life-changing journeys and all it entails in settling in a new country during a period of immense change and intense debate.

The exhibition represents an historical time line of those years, recording which groups came to Australia as refugees and the reasons why. It includes historical data on not just the refugees but the response from Australians, be it at the legislative level or the community level. There were plenty of statistics and laws but, more importantly, there were personal stories of people who had been refugees or those who supported them. The exhibition also rightly drew attention to the good works of volunteers in the support of refugees.

Minister Chloe Fox launched the exhibition and our Lieutenant-Governor Mr Hieu Van Le also was a guest speaker. The exhibition was particularly personal to him. Indeed, he departed from the normal speech to recount some racism the Vietnamese community received at the hands of pro-Hanson supporters going back a few years now. We forget very easily as a community just how difficult that migrant journey is for every new group that arrives on our shores.

As the Migration Museum rightly points out, there are many challenges that refugees face in starting a new life, including language barriers, lack of employment, not to mention cultural shock for many. It also makes the point with its exhibition that over the last 40 years Australia has reacted in a range of ways to people from different countries, varying from hostility and indifference to offering welcome and giving practical assistance.

I know that all would agree that the Migration Museum is in a good position to put the contemporary debate in its historical context to inform visitors. I agree wholeheartedly with the Migration Museum's words that the exhibition shows that people's attitudes, responses and arguments about refugees have stayed relatively consistent for over 40 years, ranging from people who believe that Australia should have no obligation to take refugees to those who believe Australia does not do enough.

Similarly for asylum seekers, attitudes have remained relatively consistent in either applauding policies of mandatory detention and offshore processing or in protesting against the treatment of asylum seekers.

As was also pointed out by the Migration Museum, the political backdrop has changed several times, but much of the debate has remained the same. The exhibition led nicely into Refugee Week in 2013. The theme for Refugee Week from 2012 to 2014 was restoring hope. As honourable members would be aware, Refugee Week is always held from Sunday to Saturday of the week which includes 20 June, which is World Refugee Day.

As in all things that focus on our multicultural society, the week provided the opportunity to both educate us all as to who refugees are and why they have come to Australia, and also of course to celebrate their presence. I take the opportunity to place on the record that the person who led the development of the exhibition was a former director of the Museum, Ms Christine Finnemore, who passed away in early May this year, just prior to the exhibition launch. Ms Margaret Anderson, CEO of History SA, dedicated the exhibition to her memory.

For over 25 years Christine Finnemore made a significant contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of public history and the promotion of the arts in South Australia. I know she was tremendously respected in many positions throughout her career in both curatorial and administrative roles in Arts SA and art institutions. Her presence in the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of public history and the promotion of arts in SA will be greatly missed, and I offer my personal condolences to her family and friends. Vale Christine Finnemore.

I take the opportunity to place on the record the good works of all those at the Migration Museum for bringing the exhibition together and urge honourable members to visit the exhibition, which will be running for a whole year.