Performers at the Cambodian community festival.
Image: Ben Healley
Source: Museum Victoria
Almost 2000 people attended the Immigration Museum’s Cambodian community festival.
On 14 September, visitors were treated to Cambodian dance and music performances, delicious food provided by Purple Orchid and the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, and a range of other activities.
Guests enjoyed Khmer chess and traditional Cambodian games, cooking demonstrations and a bridal parade of traditional costumes. There were also film and photo exhibitions on display.
The one-day celebration attracted 1943 people and coincided with the conclusion of the Kimono exhibition at the Immigration Museum.
Many Cambodians first migrated to Australia during the 1980s under a humanitarian program, after fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime. Approximately 34% of Cambodian migrants in Australia are settled in Victoria. The 2006 census revealed close to 10000 people in the state were born in Cambodia. The greater Dandenong area is home to nearly half (45%) of Victoria’s Cambodian population.
The Immigration Museum hosts three cultural community festivals each year.