If you are a refugee who has migrated to the Moreton Bay Region in the past 10 years, we want to hear your story.

Council Spokesperson for Lifestyle and Amenity, Councillor Denise Sims, said council was carrying out a research project between now and July to capture the experiences of refugees for inclusion in Moreton Bay Region Libraries’ oral history collection in celebration of Refugee Week (June 16-22).

“Refugee Week is an annual activity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrating the positive contributions they’ve made to our society,” Cr Sims said.

“As part of council’s project, we want to learn the circumstances of why families or individuals left their country, the refugee process, migrating to Australia and their experiences of settling in our region through a series of video interviews.

“Each refugee story is unique and learning how an individual or family overcame adversity can teach us about how we lead our own lives and understand the importance of resilience, determination and perseverance.

“If you’ve got a story you want to share then I encourage you to take part in this fascinating project.

“One the reasons I love living in Moreton Bay is that it’s not only one of the fastest growing regions but also one of the most culturally diverse regions in Australia, with one in every four residents born overseas, representing more than 180 nationalities and speaking 157 different languages.

“The cultural diversity of the region is rapidly growing and we are seeing more and more people from refugee backgrounds calling Moreton Bay their home.

“We’ve had huge investments into our region with the $1 billion Redcliffe Peninsula Rail Line and a world-class university precinct at Petrie planned to open in 2020, but our best resource is our people, so by sharing your story the whole region benefits.”

For more information about the oral history project and to share your story contact: local.history@moretonbay.qld.gov.au