Voyage to Freedom – personal stories of a perilous journey
Australian National Maritime Museum
As part of Refugee Week, the Australian National Maritime Museum presents Voyage to Freedom, a powerful pop-up exhibition centred on Tự do (Freedom), the boat that carried Vietnamese refugees to Australia in 1977. Through oral histories, personal memories and significant objects, the exhibition brings to life a journey of courage, loss and hope, while reflecting a broader human search for safety, freedom and a better future.
At the heart of the exhibition are oral histories collected by the museum from 1995 to the present, inviting visitors to hear directly from family members and friends connected to the voyage. A small number of carefully chosen objects — including a compass used on Tự do, navigation maps, a frying pan and a cassette recorder carried across the journey — help illuminate the realities of departure, the perilous voyage to Darwin and the experience of building a new life in Australia. Voyage to Freedom creates an intimate and immersive encounter shaped by voice, memory and reflection.
Photograph of the Lu family on the deck of TU DO in Darwin Harbour *** Local Caption *** Photograph of the Lu family on the deck of TU DO in Darwin Harbour. ‘Untitled [2 young Vietnamese children next to a wooden pole on deck of a Vietnamese refugee boat]’. Black and white, the photograph shows the children at the right of the pole. The hands of another child can be seen on the left side. A man is standing on the left with his arms folded. A woman wearing a white top with black spots is seated at the edge of a tarp shelter erected over the deck. The shadows of other people can be seen behind them.
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The exhibition places the story of Tự do within the wider history of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, while also highlighting the experiences of the many Vietnamese ‘boat people’ who made dangerous sea journeys in the 1970s and 1980s.
‘Voyage to Freedom brings visitors close to the lived experience of the voyage,’ said Dr Roland Leikauf, Curator of Post War Immigration.
‘Through oral histories and a small number of powerful objects, the exhibition reveals the practical realities, uncertainty and resilience behind one family’s journey on Tự do.’
‘This exhibition speaks to an important part of Australia’s migration story and the courage of those who came here in search of safety and a better future,’ said Peter Fray, Assistant Director.
‘It invites audiences to reflect not only on the journey of Tự do, but on the many stories of displacement, resilience and belonging that have helped shape modern Australia.’
Voyage to Freedom offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on one family’s extraordinary voyage and the enduring themes of resilience, belonging and renewal that continue to shape Australia’s migration story.
The museum established a Vietnamese Community Reference Group to consult with and would like to thank the following members for their advice and support; Dr Dacchi Dang, Dr Anh Nguyen Austen, Angela Wong, Paige Taylor, Nathan Pharaoh, Julie Ly, Dr Tran Nguyen, Tammy Nguyen and Sheila Ngọc Phạm.
The Museum is working with the Vietnamese community to honour Vietnamese migration with dedicated panels on the Welcome Wall, Australia’s National Monument to Migration. We acknowledge the community who have placed their family on the dedicated panels, their donation to the Museum, has supported our commitment to honour, collect and hold their stories – which collectively – are our national story.
The museum is now accepting names for the next panel on the Monument for the next unveiling ceremony.
The Australian National Maritime Museum is proud to share this exhibition as part of its commitment to telling complex maritime histories through personal voices and objects that connect past and present.
Voyage to Freedom is free and runs from June 20 until October 1
