In many homes in Australia, you will find a bookcase, a mantelpiece or a shelf with a display of family photographs. These small intimate galleries chronicle the individuals, both young and old, who populate the family tree, sometimes the images reach back two or three generations.

One of these photos may be of a relative who embarked on a long and difficult journey to Australia, helping make possible the life the family has today. When you look at the picture of an ancestor, someone who may have spoken a different language, eaten different food and worn different clothes, it invites you to wonder why they decided to leave their home, and what it was like for them to arrive in a strange new country. What were the hopes and fears that motivated them to change their lives in such a dramatic way?  

Stories of migration are very much part of our national experience. The most recent Australian Census, conducted in 2021, tells us that more than half of Australians have at least one parent born overseas. Coming from all parts of the globe, these migrants help make Australia one of the most diverse nations in the world.

The National Library of Australia is a place where migration stories can be found and retold for future generations. The books, magazines, paintings, documents, letters, drawings and photographs held by the Library provide a storehouse of memories for all Australians to cherish.

Hopes and Fears: Australian Migration Stories, running from 26 July 2024 to 2 February 2025, celebrates the people who have made those journeys. 

Exhibition Themes

Hopes and Fears: Never ceded
First Nations man dressed in colonial naval attire standing on a beach with a large ship not far from the shore

First Australians have lived on the Australian continent for more than 65,000 years. They did not cede the land that the British claimed, and they continue to assert their sovereignty.

Acknowledgements

The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples — the First Australians — as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders — past and present — and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are advised that this exhibition contains images and names of deceased people. Please also be aware that you may see certain words or descriptions in the exhibition which reflect the attitudes of the period in which the item was created and may now be considered offensive. If you have concerns or queries, please email: exhibitions@nla.gov.au 

Hopes and Fears: Australian Migration Stories is a National Library of Australia exhibition.