Refugee Week – Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community

SA Refugee Week is one of South Australia’s best recognised annual community celebrations. Throughout June there will be an array of exhibitions, cultural events, forums and community days that celebrate the achievements of refugees and their contribution to South Australia, while also raising awareness around the refugee experiences worldwide.

Join us to celebrate Refugee Week at the Migration Museum.

Explore our discovery trail highlighting refugee experiences from SA’s diverse communities.

Free entry during museum opening hours 10am – 5pm

Discover more here https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/

Strengthening Community Connections Through Film, Music, and Dance 

Do you have a passion for Arabic music and dance?
The Arabic Language and Culture Association of South Australia and The History Trust of South Australia invite Arabic speaking South Australians, and any South Australian residents interested in Arabic culture to celebrate and connect with Arabic music and dance.  We would love to hear from you!  

The project is supported by a City of Adelaide Arts and Cultural Grant. 

Expression of Interest open until Sunday 27 July 2025 

Submit your EOI

Storytelling session at the Migration Museum, 18 May 2025 

The Arabic Language and Culture Association of SA (ALCASA) and the History Trust of South Australia are hosting two Community Workshops to hear stories about personal experiences connected to Arabic music and dance. The stories may become part of a pop-up exhibition at the Hafle: End of Project Celebration event on Sunday 21 September, or will be shared online.  

Join us on Sunday 18 May, 10.30 – 1.30pm at the Migration Museum for the first Storytelling session. Assisted through guiding questions, you may wish to present your story or get inspired by listening to other stories and learn more about Arabic music and dance. Start the sessions with Arabic coffee and tea while listening to some Arabic tunes. 

Register

Read more about the project and associated events: https://alcasa.org.au/project/arabic-arts-alive-2025/

Join us for a guided discovery of significant migrants who relocated to South Australia and learn about their connections to the area surrounding the Migration Museum. Stop at important sites along North Terrace and find out about the people connected to these places.

Hear stories about influential migrants and what they have contributed to our state. Stroll down part of the Jubilee 150-year Walkway and learn about the people featured on the plaques.

$20 per person 

Friday 13 June at 1pm

Tour starts at the Migration Museum, 82 Kintore Avenue, Adelaide SA 5000

*Tour is subject to weather conditions and runs for approximately 60-90 minutes.

**To participate in this tour, you must be able to walk an extensive distance, stand for long periods and undertake a substantial number of steps.

SOLD OUT

From Marree and Oodnadatta to Port Augusta and beyond, hear the voices and share in a city reunion of Australia’s cameleer descendants. Discover the legacy of the original ‘Afghans’—South Asian, Aboriginal, and European heritage—and explore living history and culture.

Enjoy fascinating stories, live music and a complimentary light lunch served at 2.15pm courtesy of Australian Sikh Support.

Proudly supported by the Migration Museum Foundation.

IMPORTANT! The taking of photographs and/or videos are not permitted during the event. The event is being recorded exclusively by History Trust of South Australia.

Transport your family to the 19th century this May during South Australia’s History Festival.

Show your young ones what life was like before modern technology! You’ll play historic indoor and outdoor games like Hoops & Sticks, Quoits, Knucklebones, Hopscotch, Skittles, Kolchee and Game of Life! Hosted in the Migration Museum courtyard just off North Terrace, this activity is the perfect weekend outing for the whole family. 

FREE 

Sunday 18 May, 1-3pm
Saturday 31 May, 1-3pm 

SOLD OUT

The Destitute Asylum Lying-in Home in Adelaide’s CBD was once the birthplace of 1,678 babies between 1880 and 1909. Could you have ancestors who were born in this former facility for destitute, unwed or deserted women?

This Mother’s Day, take a curator led tour of the Destitute Asylum site to remember the mothers and children who were housed there. Hear touching, tragic and sometimes unusual tales that were passed down by generations through state records, former staff, mothers and their children.

FREE 

Sunday 11 May, 3pm 

Tours runs for approximately 60 minutes and is not suitable for children under 12 years.

SOLD OUT

Adelaide’s Destitute Asylum, which operated in the 19th century, housed many impoverished and vulnerable people, including women, children and the elderly, and has a long history of hardship and suffering. Take a tour by candlelight to learn about the darker side of Adelaide’s history. Explore heritage buildings and discover tales about life & death in colonial South Australia.

Disease, death and destitution are guaranteed!

$20 per person

Thursday 29 May, 7pm
Friday 30 May, 6pm & 7:30pm 

Tour runs for approximately 60-90 minutes and is not suitable for children under 12 years.

Join our expert tour guides for a fascinating history of migration throughout South Australia.

Get to know stories of migrants from all over the world and the many cultures that diversify our state. Our guides will share personal stories, objects and artifacts, collected by the Migration Museum, in connection with migrants and refugees throughout South Australia.

$10 per person

Thurs 1 May, 11am & 3pm
Sat 17 May, 11am & 3pm
Thurs 22 May, 11am & 3pm
Sun 25 May, 11am & 3pm 

Tour runs for approximately 60 mins.

The Migration Museum is home to Adelaide’s Destitute Asylum which housed many of those less fortunate from 1850 – 1918. In the 19th century, unwed pregnant women, the poor and the elderly often found themselves classed as “destitute” and relied on this institution for housing and support.

Join the Migration Museum team on this fascinating walking tour to uncover the history of the Destitute Asylum and learn about those who lived there.

$20 per person

Tuesday 6 May, 11am
Saturday 10 May, 11am
Friday 16 May, 2pm
Monday 19 May, 11am
Saturday 24 May, 2pm 

Meeting point: Migration Museum, 82 Kintore Ave, Adelaide, SA

*Tour is subject to weather conditions and runs for approximately 60-90 minutes.

**To participate in this tour, you must be able to walk an extensive distance, stand for long periods and undertake a substantial number of steps.

It’s time for another Migration Museum LEGO® Trail and the theme is Participation! Explore the Migration Museum and learn about amazing sports from different cultures around the world. You might even see some sports that you participate in. Find all the LEGO® figures inside the museum, and spell out the secret word to enter the competition for the chance to win one of three LEGO set prizes.

The LEGO® Trail runs from Saturday 5 April until Sunday 27 April.

The LEGO® Trail is open for all children under 15 years to enter.