Presented by the Victorian Hungarian Council
Reflect on the memories, experiences and perspectives of Hungarian migrants who arrived in Australia in the years following World War II.
Through personal narratives, photographs and historical insights, this moving bilingual exhibition explores the journeys of Hungarian migrants during the post-war years.
Their firsthand accounts reveal stories of migration, belonging and identity, illustrating how individual experiences have become part of a shared cultural heritage.
Marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian refugee wave, the exhibition highlights Bonegilla as both an important place of Hungarian community memory and a significant site in Australia's multicultural history. It invites visitors to reflect on the lasting impact of migration and the connections forged across generations and communities.
Curators: Ilona Fekete and Levente Várdai
Interviewer: Levente Várdai
Project Manager: Éva Kövesdy
Exhibition entry is free with site admission.
On display in the Mess Hall until Sunday, November 7, 2027
Bonegilla Migrant Experience is open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
Closed on all public holidays except Good Friday, Easter Monday and Boxing Day. Where a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating is declared, the site will also close.
Image: In front of the family cubicles at Bonegilla, Béla Párkányi, Magdolna (née Bognár) and Zoltan Párkányi, 1957. Image from the collection of Louisa Rigó.