Ideas for using – The journey of the Hong Hai
Studies of Australia
The journey of the Hong Hai
The journey of the Hong Hai
By visiting a selection of stopping
points on the 52-day journey of the
Hong Hai, students can re-create
the dramatic and extraordinary
journey of this Vietnamese fishing
vessel. The actual journey occurred
in 1978 and was the first case of
refugee 'boat people' landing on
Australia's shores. At each
stopping point students can find
different objects that were retrieved
from the Hong Hai after its arrival in
Australia. These objects include a
wooden Ba Cau shrine, a Rado
watch used for navigation, a guitar,
playing cards and the captain's
binoculars. Through the objects, students can gain insight into the culture, beliefs and
experiences of the refugee passengers.
Learning objects LO ID Years
The journey of the Hong Hai 779 3-4
The journey of the Hong Hai: design a 684 5-7
museum exhibition
The journey of the Hong Hai: design a museum exhibition
This learning object follows the same format as the first, but on their journey from Vietnam to
Australia students collect items they see at the stopping points to create their own exhibit about
this landmark refugee experience. The exhibition activity requires them to add their own captions to
objects and order them according to one of two themes:
Danger and hardship or
Courage, determination and hope.
Why can't I live where I like?
Education Tasmania has developed Why can't I live where I like?, an online learning sequence
which integrates two learning objects: The journey of the Hong Hai and Nhu Minh:
multiculturalism in Australia. The learning sequence explores the history and future of
immigration in Australia and is based on Tasmania's Essential Learnings framework. The
learning sequence includes the following ideas:
TLF Learning Objects -- Ideas for educators-- Sept 05
Personal futures: Building and maintaining identity and relationships
Understands the ways in which heredity, culture, community and personal choice shape identity
and relationships, and is able to build and maintain resilient, productive relationships.
Social responsibility: Understanding the past and creating preferred futures
Understands that investigating the past and reflecting on the present are essential to
understanding self and others and creating preferred futures.
Understanding goals
1. Students will understand why some Vietnamese immigrants came to Australia.
Why did Vietnamese people leave their own country?
2. Students will understand issues that people face when they become refugees or
asylum seekers. What are some of the issues that people face when they become
refugees or asylum seekers?
TLF Learning Objects -- Ideas for educators-- Sept 05