Plans for a Vietnamese Museum in Footscray have received approval by local council, with the Konzepte Melbourne-designed building to preserve and showcase the culture of Vietnamese migrants who made their way to Australia during the Vietnam War period.
Approximately 10 percent of Footscray’s population is Vietnamese. After several decades in the community, the townspeople believed the best way to tell the story of the migrants was in the form of a museum.
“It’s to keep that history alive so the story doesn’t get forgotten and so future generations can have a place to go and see where their ancestors came from, and form their own sense of identity,” Vietnamese Museum Australia Committee Member Tammy Nguyen tells the SBS.
“It has been a really long time coming and it’s taken a lot of hands and a lot of energy to get up and running.
"We really want to showcase what the Vietnamese community has contributed to Australia in the past 50 years."
The bamboo-esque facade is reminiscent of the plant which is a cornerstone of Vietnamese culture. The adoption of red throughout is a nod to the national flag of Vietnam, as well as the red soil of Australia, which intersects both cultures. The four level museum will hold exhibition and resource spaces, as well as a shrine and memorial garden.
The $20 million facility will commence construction later this year, with completion anticipated for 2025, approximately 50 years since the first Vietnamese refugees set foot on Australian soil.
For more information, visit www.vietnamesemuseum.com.au.
