New Land, New Hope – latest exhibition at the Migration Museum commemorates thirty years of settlement by refugees from the Horn of Africa

“You make a choice: it is better for me to die walking or die standing still?”

In the 1990s, the first group of refugees from the Horn of Africa region arrived in South Australia. They had fled for their lives from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. They chose life over death, opportunity over poverty and freedom over oppression. They took the ultimate risk and survived.

New Land, New Hope, curated by the Australian Refugee Association and presented by the Migration Museum, shares the remarkable personal stories of some of those refugees. It celebrates their contributions to the rich fabric of life in South Australia and shows how a helping hand can completely transform someone’s life.

Migration Museum Director Mandy Paul says the Migration Museum is proud to have worked with the Australian Refugee Association to present this important exhibition.  “The stories in this exhibition are powerful reminders of the courage it takes to start anew, and the persistence it takes to settle into a new land. But above all, they are stories of hope.

Australian Refugee Association (ARA) CEO Deb Stringer says that over its 45-year history, ARA has helped more than 20,000 refugees, migrants and their families build a new life with opportunities to learn, work and grow. ARA is delighted to have worked with the Horn of Africa communities and Migration Museum on this project. “This exhibition highlights and celebrates the achievements of the Horn of Africa communities, serving as a reminder of the resilience and courage that refugees from the Horn of Africa have shown and bring to the Australian community.”

New Land, New Hope is open until 28 February 2021 at the Migration Museum.

What: New Land, New Hope exhibition at the Migration Museum
Where: 82 Kintore Avenue, Adelaide
10am to 5pm daily
When: 23 December 2021 to 28 February 2021

Entry is free of charge.

Interviews are available with Mandy Paul, Director, Migration Museum and Deb Stringer, CEO, Australian Refugee Association