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Era
1965 - 1990

Migrants, refugees, boat people and asylum seekers
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Tu Do Refugee Boat c.1970s

Tu Do has historic value as tangible evidence of Vietnamese Refugees in a key phase of Australia’s migration history.


Harry Vanda’s Maton 12 String Electric Guitar c.1960s

Discover the 12 string electric guitar Harry Vanda played with the Easybeats during their heyday. The Easybeats are regarded as Australia’s greatest pop band from the 1960s and formed from a group of migrant teenagers living at the Villawood Migrant Hostel.


Thai Language Engineering Text Books c.1960 – 1970s

The text books have historic value as evidence of the changing nature of Australian relations with Asia, Britain and the United States.


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Ed Kuepper’s Valeno Guitar c.1975

See the electric guitar used by German born Ed Kuepper, legendary guitarist and song writher for the Saints and Laughing Clowns. The Saints feature on this Saturday’s episode of Classic Australian Albums on SBS television.


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Vietnamese Model Fishing Boat c.1980

Discover the model fishing boat Kie Gang Kg 02979 made by Lai Duc while staying at Pu Lau Bi Dong, an island refugee camp in Malaysia, in the 1980s.


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Commemorative banknote, 1988

The bank note has historical value as evidence of the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations and the recognition of the cultural diversity that had evolved in the Australian community up to that time.


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Oktoberfest Beer Stein, 1990

The Bier stein and eisstock game piece are social and culturally significant. The German-Austrian Society of Australia Club was formed to assist Post World War II migrants to resettle into suburban Fairfield community life between 1945 and 1960, and fulfil an important social and cultural role in an alienating culture.


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Spaghetti maker

The spaghetti maker and dolls are historically significant as evidence of migrant folk art transplanted from Italy to the Fairfield in the suburbs of Sydney.