Created in partnership with Wollongong Library for History Week 2024, an exhibition of forty images showing life of Illawarra’s migrant settlers and refugees from diverse cultural backgrounds is available for viewing at the Wollongong City Library, on level 1. The photos from private collections held by the Migration Heritage Project…
‘I Arrived with One Suitcase, A Woman’s Journey’ The Migration Heritage Project is pleased to host Julijana Griffiths as our AGM guest speaker on Saturday, 2 December 2023, commencing at 10.15am, in the Mercury Gallery at the Wollongong Art Gallery, corner of Kembla and Burelli Streets, Wollongong. Julijana will speak…
Updated 9 September 2023 The Development Application for the relocation of the three remaining NSW State Heritage Listed Hostel Huts at the former Balgownie/Fairy Meadow Hostel has been withdrawn with the huts to remain where they are. A revised DA for the construction of the St George Illawarra Dragons Community…
How Castagne Day Got Started in Wollongong Depending on what suburb you lived, what Italian community group you belonged to or your circle of Italian friends, there are different versions of how Castagne Day got its start in Wollongong. It didn’t start at the Fraternity Club, but after the ‘Frat’…
#RideThePast Exhibition A collection of 14 stories of migrants and refugees cyclists living in the Illawarra ranging from everyday people to elite sportsmen and women. #RideThePast Exhibition is a Spin Fest partner event for the UCI championships and will be on display from 12 September to 3 October 2022 in…
Right now, I love living and working in the Illawarra (home to Aboriginal people for over twenty thousand years and in Dharawal language aptly meaning “a place near the sea”). What makes it so special is the different cultures that have come to live here, bringing with them their traditions and foods that…
LEST WE FORGET OUR SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN OF DIVERSE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS – REMEMBRANCE DAY Among the soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) were men from first, second and third generation Illawarra settlers and migrants of non-English speaking backgrounds. Below is a list compiled of some of those men who fought…
May 2021 – This study is now complete and available for download. March 2020 – Franca Facci (MHP), Chris Lacey (MCCI) and consultant John Petersen met with the feasibility study funding body in March and provided a briefing on the final report. The next stage is to advocate for funding. …
MHP’s recent Facebook post on Wednesday 17 February 2021 about the half house built by Theodorus and Mathilda Jansen has raised the curiosity of some our followers which I hope this blog will go some way towards answering such questions as: what number was the house? what did it look…
MHP Presentation on Hostel Life – Stories of Assisted Migration & Housing Saturday 29 February 2020, 9.30am, Fraternity Club 11 Bourke Street Fairy Meadow, NSW Admission Free but Booking Essential. 2019 saw the start of many 70-year anniversaries across Australia in connection with post WW2 migration to Australia. The Commonwealth migration…
The ‘Illawarra Food Business Stories of Early Migrants who Tantalised our Palates’ exhibition enjoyed an encore presentation September to 14 October 2019 at the Wollongong City Council’s Curio Gallery, an outdoor display which is located on Church Street Wollongong. This successful and popular exhibition researched, curated and designed by the…
The FOOD BUSINESS was an exhibition about Wollongong’s own ‘foody’ pioneers. The exhibition showcased the individuals that brought new flavours and colours to the palates of the people in the emerging city that we know and love today. Many people believe that Wollongong became a multicultural city after WWII but…
A history of the Dutch Immigrant families who settled in the Illawarra in the 1950’s Bill Fikkers is a member of the Migration Heritage Project, an example how the Migration Heritage Project encourages and supports the recording of migrant history in the Illawarra, and it is with great pleasure that…
