Migration Museum

Adelaide’s Migration Museum was the first museum of its kind to be established in Australia. Built in 1986, the museum is a place to explore the many identities of the people of South Australia through the stories of individuals and communities. The museum’s nine galleries, which include permanent and changing displays, trace the history and culture of the First Nations people who first lived in the place we now call South Australia before colonisation, as well as the history and impact of immigration from the 19th century onward, and the complicated history of the site itself. The museum was built in a complex of early colonial bluestone buildings, which includes the former Adelaide Destitute Asylum (1850-1918), and prior to that it was a “native school” where Aboriginal children were taken. Located a short walk down Kintore Avenue from North Terrace, the Migration Museum is easily accessible by public transport and open daily 10am-5pm (closed Christmas Day). Entry is free, with an optional gold coin donation. All galleries have disabled access.