BONEGILLA - Their Life in a Suitcase

Next date: Sunday, 06 December 2026 | 02:00 PM to 03:20 PM

Bonegilla -Their Life in a Suitcase is the follow up performance to the wildly successful production Bonegilla -The Migrant’s Journey, which has been seen by over 10,000 people and garnered a bag of awards.

This new project shows first-hand interviews of post war migrants from various European countries, their photos, home movies and documents. After World War 2, there were millions of displaced people searching for homes and a new start. Australia committed itself to accepting boatloads of these refugees. Bonegilla -Their Life in a Suitcase charts the “New Australian’s” time during the war and how that influenced their decision to find a new home. It then charts their travel by ships to the other side of the world, their arrival in a land they knew nothing about, being housed in spartan migrant camps like Bonegilla and their eventual acceptance of Australia as their new home. All this is told by interviews with former migrants, sourced from various European countries, who now call Australia home.

The live performance is brought to life by the use of multimedia. Screens show recorded stories and the former migrant’s photos and home movies. The stage is decorated with immigrant memorabilia like suitcases, toys and a sea of candles. This is all topped off with a grand piano and violin live music soundtrack.

Be prepared to enter a very emotional space during the show Bonegilla - Their Life in a Suitcase.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. But most of all you'll be truly inspired by these gutsy pioneers who left everything behind and travelled to a country they knew nothing about.

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