Holocaust museum and education centre underway

The Palaszczuk Government has announced Queensland’s first site to educate people about the Holocaust and remember its horrendous legacy.

The Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre will be established through state government funding of $3.5 million which will be matched by a Federal Government commitment of $3.5 million and a Brisbane City Council pledge of $500,000.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the investment marked a significant milestone in the state’s cultural history.

“It will honour the legacy of those who faced awful atrocities and will also feature locally recorded stories and will be able to reach the regions through online and mobile exhibits,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“It will ensure future generations do not forget.

“It follows our election commitment to establish this centre, ensuring lessons of the Holocaust and the contributions that survivors have made to Queensland are heard for generations to come.”

Chair of the Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre Jason Steinberg said while the number of Holocaust survivors in Queensland was getting smaller with each passing year, the centre would aim to remember and honour those who survived, those who lost their lives and those who saved lives.

“We want to inspire and educate Queenslanders to stand up against prejudice, anti-semitism, hatred and racism and to promote multiculturalism, inclusivity and harmony,” he said.

“The centre will enable us to share the stories of survival, resilience and courage using virtual content to provide an interactive and immersive experience for visitors.

“Stories from people directly affected by the Holocaust and other genocides are powerful tools to show Queenslanders the importance of standing up against racism and prejudice in all forms and to emphasise the devastating human toll wreaked by human rights abuses.”

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Leanne Linard said a partnership between the Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre and the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane will see the centre located in Brisbane’s Cathedral Precinct at the Old Archives Building and Penola Place in Charlotte and Edward Streets.

“Even though it will be based in Brisbane, the centre will be accessible for all Queenslanders, particularly students, and reach global audiences through innovative mobile and online exhibits,” Ms Linard said.

“The centre has cemented national and international partnerships to receive artefacts, education and training materials, video stories and displays to share and exhibit.

“Locally recorded stories of Holocaust survivors living in Queensland will feature prominently.”

Archbishop Mark Coleridge from the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane said it was an honour to partner with the centre.

“As a society, we need to work together towards a common goal that overcomes hatred and promotes peace. We need to build bridges, not walls,” he said.

“Inter-religious partnerships like this send a strong signal to the community that we are all sisters and brothers in a world where the other is not my enemy.”

Ms Linard said the centre will open to the public in early 2023.

Exhibitions, education and training resources about the Holocaust will be complemented by exhibitions focused on Australia’s First Nations people and other countries’ genocide histories.

A unique mobile facility will also be developed to travel throughout the state to encourage Queenslanders to stand up to all forms of discrimination and prejudice.

ENDS

Media Contact:

Chris Taylor, Premier’s office 0473 336 110

Catherine Baker, Minister Linard’s office 0498 844 783