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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-17 Daily Xml
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Vietnamese Boat People Monument

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:35): Sunday 7 February 2021 was a very special day for our local Australian-Vietnamese community. We joined with other South Australians to unveil the state's first monument to commemorate Vietnamese boat people. I am a boat person and was proud to celebrate with my community our achievements and contribution to this great state and, importantly, remember our early beginnings here.

Vietnamese people started arriving in Australia in great numbers about 40 years ago, when our former homeland was gripped by a civil war. We piled into tiny fishing boats looking for safety on any welcoming shore. We spent days and weeks at sea. We encountered pirates and suffered horrific assaults at their hands. Many boat people lost their lives to the sea. I stand as one of the very lucky refugees who reached Australia and was resettled in Adelaide, South Australia. I thank God every day for that gift.

My journey is unique in this chamber but it is just one of many harrowing stories of the Vietnamese boat people. In our new home, Vietnamese boat people suffered racism and many experienced isolation and unemployment. But as we endured these challenges and the longing for those we left and lost, the wider Australian community and all levels of government welcomed us. Safe in Australia, boat people did not dwell on our challenges. Instead, we were grateful for our sanctuary and focused on the opportunities in our new country.

Through this monument, we want firstly to remember the events that brought us here and those we lost and, secondly, to thank Australians for our new home and opportunities. For the generations of Australian-Vietnamese born here and the children of other refugees, we hope the monument inspires them to learn and remember their families' history and understand that their fortunes today are built on the sacrifices of their ancestors.

On behalf of the local Australian-Vietnamese community, I invite everyone to visit the beautiful monument now standing on the Riverbank at the corner of Victoria Drive and Kintore Avenue. Artists Ash Badios and Tony Rosella and their team beautifully captured in bronze two Australian-Vietnamese children beside a granite boat. On top of the boat, six lotus flowers represent the Southern Cross, pointing the way to hope and opportunity. That hope and opportunity proudly sits on the horizon, captured in the towering granite beacon on the edge of the monument.

My wish is that all children whose parents have come from far lands and who beat incredible odds to make their home here can look to the beacon for guidance and inspiration on their way to becoming constructive citizens. Should you ever be lost, look to the beacon to find the way. Remember your ancestors' struggles and the goodwill, support and opportunity they found in this new home. Take your bearings from your history, make the most of what this community offers and remember you are also part of this great gift. You, too, create this gift for others as a productive and valued member of our multicultural community.

In closing, on behalf of the Vietnamese Boat People Monument Association, I thank the former Labor and the current Liberal state governments and all my parliamentary colleagues from all parties for their support. I also acknowledge the contributions from the City of Adelaide and the Kaurna community, and I thank them for their support for the monument to stand on their land.

Thank you to all the volunteers for your help at the ceremony and over the years and to everyone who contributed financially. The histories of Vietnam and Australia are already tightly connected, and sharing this celebration strengthens the bonds of our local community.

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