Croatian Festival

Join the Victorian Croatian community for a celebration of Croatian customs and traditions at this one day festival. Experience Croatian music and dance performances, a fashion parade, film screenings and taste the exciting flavours of Croatian cuisine.

Date: 11am – 4pm, Sunday 27 June 2010

Australia’s Muslim Cameleers: Pioneers of the Inland 1860s – 1930s

This exhibition reveals the remarkable contribution that Australia’s first Muslim community, from Afghanistan and British India, made to the exploration and settlement of Australia’s arid interior. Cameleers assisted all major expeditions into Australia’s uncharted interior starting with the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860 and have contributed significantly to Australia’s economic and cultural development. Exhibits include fascinating photographs, camel saddles, historic clothing, textiles and original documents.

Date: Until 19 September 2010

Winter School holiday program

Discover the history of Australia’s Muslim Cameleers at the Immigration Museum. Colour in a prayer rug to learn more about why and when prayer rugs are used. Find out why camels are able to travel through the desert when you make your own toy camel. Join a treasure hunt to locate some of the precious objects from the Muslim Cameleers exhibition.

Date: June 26 until July 11 2010

Survival of a Culture: Kurds in Australia

This exhibition explores how the Kurdish culture has survived through adversity, invasion, and division of the Kurds’ traditional lands. Survival of a Culture: Kurds in Australia examines the traditions at the core of the Kurdish culture that have enabled it to survive, and which Kurds proudly maintain in Australia today. A variety of objects on display include traditional costumes, instruments, hand-made carpets, hand-woven crafts and pewter ware.

Date: Until 12 September 2010

Honouring our Ancestors: Remembering East Timor

This exhibition explores a ritual called Se Matebian, which takes place each year on All Souls Day and honours East Timorese ancestors. It looks at how the East Timorese community in Australia continue to practise this ritual today. Personal stories and reflections of people from the East Timorese community are shared and featured objects include a silver breast plate and head piece worn by elders during ceremonial peace, a silver jewellery box with an ancestral worship home on top, jewellery associated with ancestors, timber statues representing ancestors, hand woven baskets and East Timorese fabrics.

Date: From 19 September 2010

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne.  Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm.

Admission: Adult $8, child/concession FREE. More info 13 11 02 or museumvictoria.com.au/immigration museum