Construction has finished on Australia’s first museum dedicated to the Vietnamese community, with the Vietnamese Museum Australia in Sunshine expected to open later this year.
The three-storey building will serve as a cultural and community hub, preserving the stories of Vietnamese Australians and the refugee journeys that brought many families to Victoria. Visitors will be able to explore galleries, education spaces, community facilities and immersive displays, including a Journey Walk designed to trace the experiences of refugees travelling to Australia.
The museum arrives as Victoria marks 50 years since Vietnamese settlement in the state. More than 121,000 people of Vietnamese heritage now live in Victoria, making it one of the state’s largest multicultural communities. The museum is expected to become a lasting tribute to the role Vietnamese Victorians have played in shaping local communities, business, education and public life.
Located in Sunshine, the museum has been designed as a place where people can gather, learn and celebrate culture. Alongside exhibition galleries, the building includes a dedicated education and resource centre, as well as an event space capable of hosting up to 300 people.
The project has also been seen as an important addition to Melbourne’s west, an area with a long connection to the Vietnamese community. Local MPs have pointed to Sunshine as a fitting location given its history as a settlement area for many Vietnamese families over the past five decades.
Victoria’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Ingrid Stitt, visited the site to mark the completion of construction. She said the museum would honour the contribution of Vietnamese Victorians and help ensure their stories remain part of the state’s history.
Member for Laverton Sarah Connolly said Melbourne’s west had long been a place where communities built new lives and said it was fitting the museum would call Sunshine home.
Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman said the museum would celebrate the traditions, heritage and contribution of Vietnamese Victorians in the community.
Vietnamese Museum Australia chief executive officer Tammy Nguyen said the project was moving closer to opening day and described it as an exciting moment for the community and the partners involved in bringing it together.
The museum will become the seventh member of the Multicultural Museums Victoria Network, joining institutions that represent communities from across the state.
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