Melbourne Holocaust Museum's 40th Anniversary

Overview

Take an educational outing during the school holidays at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. The MHM is home rare historical artefacts and immersive exhibitions that share the powerful stories of Melbourne-based Holocaust survivors while honouring the loss of the lives of six million Jews.

The Elsternwick institution was founded by Holocaust survivors in 1984 and has since become Australia's largest space solely dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance. Its collection spans over 12,000 artefacts and 1300 testimonies. Plus, the museum hosts two exclusive exhibitions and a virtual reality experience which share raw first-hand accounts of this haunting chapter of world history.

Credit: Simon Shiff.

The permanent exhibition, called Everybody had a Name, immerses visitors in the history of the Holocaust, beginning in pre-war Europe and ending in post-war Melbourne. Captivating testimonies and personal artefacts are displayed to present the dangers of indifference and prejudice.

Hidden: Seven Children Saved centres around the experiences of seven children in hiding during the Holocaust. This multimedia exhibition stars rare artefacts, evocative interactive installations, projections and soundscapes which are also suitable for children aged 10 and over. Finally, Walk with Me is an immersive virtual reality film that follows the journey of John (Szaja) Chaskiel OAM z"l, returning to his hometown in Poland more than 70 years after the war ended.

Each of these exhibits undertakes the important mission of remembering the past so that viewers can learn from its contents, which provides an engaging perspective on our collective past and is framed through a hopeful lens.

Credit: John Gollings AM.

The museum's standard operating hours are from 2pm–6pm on Tuesday–Thursday and 10am–6pm on Sunday, and will be open for exploration during the school holidays from 10am–6pm Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday.

Book tickets to these exclusive exhibitions now via the website.