The monument commemorates the Australians who helped resettle Vietnamese boat people during the 1970s, and is dedicated to the thousands of refugees who died trying to escape Vietnam. This memorial is the first in Australia to commemorate the plight of the Vietnamese refugees.
Vietnamese boat people fled Vietnam in large numbers following the Fall of Saigon. Their plight became an international humanitarian crisis.
Victoria’s Acting Premier Rob Hulls said at its dedication in 2008:
“It’s a monument that’s really a symbol that will continue to preserve and promote the Vietnamese boat people’s heritage and culture for generations to come. It’s a boat design — it’s very clever and emotional really, and the message is simple: as human beings we are all in the same boat.”
Left Side Inscription (it in Vietnamese on the obverse)
With gratitude for the humanitarian efforts of the Australian people and the Australian government, of the world-wide relief organisations and of thousands of individuals who assisted in settling the Vietnamese refugees in Australia.
Right Side Inscription (it in Vietnamese on the obverse)
In commemoration of the hundreds and thousands of Vietnamese people who perished in pursuit of freedom (1975-1996). Whatever the cause might be: hunger or thirst, wreckages or pirates, sickness or exhaustion, we all pray that they may now rest in peace. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
