Immigration Museum, Migration museum in Melbourne central business district, Australia.
The Immigration Museum occupies the Old Customs House on Flinders Street, a Renaissance Revival building with a symmetrical pale yellow stone facade, four columns with decorative capitals, and a carved coat of arms above three dark doorways reached by a wide stone stairway. Above the entrance, "IMMIGRATION MUSEUM" is carved into the stone. Inside, the columned Long Room spans the rear at first-floor level.
The building was constructed between 1855 and 1876 during the gold rush period and initially functioned as a customs facility for the port. It was converted to a museum in 1998 to document and preserve the region's migration history.
The building showcases Renaissance Revival architecture from the gold rush era, reflecting the settlement experiences of people from many nations. The exhibitions here document personal stories of individuals who arrived in Victoria and built lives in a new land.
The museum occupies the Old Customs House on Flinders Street, in the city centre. The entrance is at the top of a wide stone stairway beneath the columned portico; the Long Room is on the first floor at the rear. Small extensions were added at the back during the 1990s restoration.
The museum uses personal belongings and stories from real immigrants to bring their everyday experiences to life in a direct way. These accounts reveal how different cultures and traditions shaped daily life in this city over many decades.
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