Amina Heco at the Bosnian Herzegovinian Festival.
Image: Ben Healley
Source: Museum Victoria
It’s been a big year for the Immigration Museum and the Bosnian Herzegovinian community.
For many months the community worked closely with the Immigration Museum to create the beautiful exhibition Welcome to my Home. This featured the reminiscences of 12 Bosnian and Herzegovinian people, both young and old, who were driven from their Balkan homeland between 1992 and 1995.
To celebrate the end of this exhibition, the Bosnian Herzegovinian community again worked with the Immigration Museum to create a special one day festival, featuring the many traditions which continue to be enjoyed in Victoria today.
On Sunday 20 November over 700 mainly Bosnian Herzegovinian visitors to the museum were greeted by a striking display of rugs and a hub of activity at surrounding community information stalls.
Fabulous choir Sevdalinka started the day-long music program with traditional songs, followed by accordionists, singers, guitarists and a lovely performance on the stringed saz.
Children from Melbourne’s three Bosnian language schools drew pictures especially for the day, celebrating Australia and Bosnia Herzegovina. Bekto Heco and his daughter Amina (pictured) set up a traditional Bosnian living room display in the Long Room, complete with coffee pot, coffee and sweets.
In the museum’s courtyard, visitors also enjoyed the traditional meat dish Cevapcici, attended cooking demonstrations delivered by charismatic chefs and received recipes for tasty looking burek and tufahija.
The next community festival at the Immigration Museum will be the Pacific Islanders Festival, on Saturday 25 February 2006.