Holocaust Museum officially opens in Brisbane

• The Palaszczuk Government has today opened Queensland’s first holocaust museum and education centre in Brisbane
• The centre honours the legacy of those who faced human rights abuse and genocide
• Jointly funded by the Palaszczuk Government and Brisbane City Council, the centre aims to inform and inspire Queenslanders to stand up to all forms of racism and prejudice

Queensland’s first holocaust museum and education centre has been officially unveiled today in Brisbane’s Cathedral Precinct.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today joined Chair of the Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre Jason Steinberg and Queensland Holocaust survivors to officially open the Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre.

Locally-recorded stories of Holocaust survivors and their families living in Queensland feature prominently alongside tributes to non-Jewish people who risked their lives to save Jewish people, including those awarded the prestigious "Righteous Among Nations" honour.

An online museum will shortly be available, and a unique mobile facility is being developed to travel throughout the state to ensure all Queenslanders have access to the valuable resources available through the centre.

The Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre will stand as a legacy to inform and inspire Queenslanders to stand up against racism and prejudice in all forms.

The museum and education centre was established thanks to $3.5 million in funding from the Palaszczuk Government, which will be matched by the Australian Government, and a Brisbane City Council pledge of $500,000.

The opening follows the introduction of new Hate Crimes legislation to ban the display of hate symbols, such as those representing Nazi ideology.

When enacted, the legislation will impose increased penalties for offences that are motivated by hatred or serious contempt and the existing offence of serious vilification.

Quotes attributable to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:

“Today marks a significant milestone in Queensland’s cultural history as we honour the legacy of Queensland’s many holocaust survivors and their descendants.

“The Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre honours the legacy of those who faced awful atrocities, as well those who risked their own lives to save those facing persecution.

“This will ensure future generations never forget - because Queensland’s survivor stories will now be heard for generations to come.”

Quotes attributable to Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick:

“Learning from history requires an unvarnished understanding of what that history contains.

“For the descendants of Holocaust survivors and Queensland’s Jewish community, this museum is a reminder for all Queenslanders of what they have endured.

And for the broader Queensland community, this museum signifies our determination to eternally call out and stand against hate, bigotry and racism in all its forms.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Leanne Linard:

“As the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I am incredibly proud to represent a government that has helped deliver this important museum and education centre for Queenslanders.

“By sharing the stories of victims, survivors and their families, we have the opportunity to deeply understand this significant part of our history.

“The information and resources available through the museum will be particularly helpful to school students – our future leaders – to help them understand the dangers of allowing hatred and prejudice to fester.

“Each of us has an active role in fostering inclusive and harmonious communities.

“It’s critical that we continue our efforts to be clear that racism and hatred have no place in Queensland, so we can build a better and safer community for generations to come.”

Quotes attributable to QHMEC Chair Jason Steinberg:

“We all have a huge responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust that is never forgotten.

“Our multi-faceted and engaging museum tells the story of the Holocaust in a way that it has never been told – through the voices, stories and artefacts from Queensland survivors.

“There were around 27,000 Holocaust survivors who migrated to Australia and Queensland became home to more than 200 survivors

“At our museum, visitors will hear first-hand filmed testimonies from Queensland survivors who tell their stories about life before, during and after the Holocaust.”

Quotes attributable to Member for McConnel Grace Grace:

“This museum will help educate Queenslanders on the atrocities of the Holocaust and honour the legacy of those who faced human rights abuse and genocide.

 “Queensland is a place for everybody and this museum will be a constant reminder to stand up against racism and prejudice in all forms.”

Quotes attributable to Archbishop Mark Coleridge:

“It is an honour to join with the Jewish community in this inter-religious partnership that promotes remembrance and understanding.

“The partnership sends a strong signal that we are all sisters and brothers in a world which desperately needs to build bridges not walls, to choose peace not violence.

“It is good that many have come together in this project – religious bodies, government and the wider community – to tell a story that can never be forgotten, a story that belongs to us all.”

ENDS

Media contact: Scott Chandler - 0409 472 893