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a black and white photograph of two women disembarking a ship as they carry their children in their lap
WA Maritime Museum
From Nonna with Love title treatment

Location

WA Maritime Museum
Victoria Quay Road, Fremantle / Walyalup

Dates

Saturday 27 September 2025 – Monday 20 April 2026

Tickets

Included with General Admission

 

Access Information

View Visual Story for this exhibition here. 

Book now

Celebrate the stories of Italian migrant women who helped shape Western Australia’s cultural identity. ​

From Nonna with Love: Stories of Tradition and Triumph brings to life the inspiring journeys of numerous Italian women who made Western Australia their home.

Leaving Italy in search of a better future, these beloved women made lasting contributions to Western Australia's culinary landscape, arts scene and community life. ​

Discover powerful personal stories told through treasured photographs, meaningful objects, and heartfelt memories. Trace the early migration journeys, the strength of community connections, and the enduring role of faith, music, and food in preserving cultural identity. ​

Take a seat at Nonna’s kitchen table—an immersive experience where the sights, sounds, and aromas of traditional home-cooked meals embrace the warmth of the family table.

While the exhibition highlights the journeys of nonnas, their experiences represent those of countless Italian women whose resilience and cultural legacy have helped shape life in Western Australia.

From Nonna with Love is more than a tribute to the past—it’s a celebration of legacy, resilience, and the enduring bonds that continue to shape our communities today.​


From Nonna with Love: Stories of Tradition and Triumph is presented by the WA Maritime Museum in partnership with Nella Fitzgerald Events.

WA Maritime Museum and Nella Fitzgerald events logos
Spaghetti with red sauce on a black and white plate

From Nonna's kitchen

Browse our collection of 25 recipes from Nonna with love, ready for you to enjoy both the cooking and the eating!

Browse Nonna's recipes

Special exhibition events

Three kids playing with pizza play activities for WA Maritime Museum school holidays in September-October 2025.
Public Program

Viva l'Italia

Get inspired by the Nonnas and go Italian this school holidays!

WA Maritime Museum
Saturday 4 April 2026
Sunday 5 April 2026
Monday 6 April 2026
Tuesday 7 April 2026
Wednesday 8 April 2026
Thursday 9 April 2026
Friday 10 April 2026
Saturday 11 April 2026
Sunday 12 April 2026
Monday 13 April 2026
Tuesday 14 April 2026
Wednesday 15 April 2026
Thursday 16 April 2026
Friday 17 April 2026
Saturday 18 April 2026
Sunday 19 April 2026

Saturday 4 April - Sunday 19 April | 10am - 2pm

A small display featuring a book called 'Memory Jars', with 2 glass jars filled with various objects sitting beside it
Public Program

Memory Jars Workshop

Join us for a short workshop to explore the story and make your own memory jar craft project.

WA Maritime Museum
Wednesday 8 April 2026
Wednesday 8 April 2026

Wednesday 8 April | 10.30am and 12.30pm
 

Nonna making pasta in the kitchen, rolling flour
Public Program

Cook like a Nonna

Join us to share skills and stories with some of Perth's beloved Italian Nonnas.

WA Maritime Museum
Friday 10 April 2026
Friday 10 April 2026
Sunday 12 April 2026
Sunday 12 April 2026
Wednesday 15 April 2026
Wednesday 15 April 2026
A detail image of a stamped and authorised immigration record in Italian depicting Ersilia Mottolini and her identifiable features. This promotional image supplied by National Archives of Australia (WA) is promoting a community outreach event about finding migration records at the WA Maritime Museum linked to the From Nonna With Love exhibition in 2026.
Public Program

From Nonna with Love: Finding your Nonni in the archives

Would you like to find out more about the migration stories of your Italian ancestors?

WA Maritime Museum
Sunday 12 April 2026
a photo of women around a dining table outdoors preparing food
Public Program

Nonnas Showcase

Join volunteer Nonnas for a demonstration of their skills and Q&A

WA Maritime Museum
Tuesday 14 April 2026
a person sits at a table holding a cup of coffee and smiling. They sit at a table with red and white checkered pattern tablecloth
Public Program

Nonna's Coffee Club

Join us to share stories and perspectives with some of Perth's beloved Italian Nonnas.

WA Maritime Museum
Tuesday 14 October 2025 – Tuesday 10 March 2026
Tuesday 14 April 2026

Tuesday 10 February 2026 | 10.30am – 11.15am
Tuesday 10 March 2026 | 10.30am – 11.15am
Tuesday 14 April 2026 | 10.30am – 11.15am

The Perroni family - Louisa with her parents, Umberto (Bert) and Felicia (holding baby brother Christopher) alongside siblings Jeanette, Joseph and Robert in the backyard of their Northbridge home. The family experienced overt discrimination, such as an instance in the 1970s when a kerb was constructed outside their new home in the northern suburbs of Perth, someone had written in the freshly poured cement "WOGS GO HOME", which remained in place for 20 years.
Public Program

From Nonna with Love: Talk Events

Join us for a series of talks that will bring to life some of the triumphs and challenges in the migration stories surrounding our Nonna community.

WA Maritime Museum
Sunday 8 March 2026
Sunday 22 March 2026
Sunday 19 April 2026

Sunday 22 March 2026 | 2pm - 3.30pm
Sunday 19 April 2026 | 2pm - 3.30pm

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      • WA Museum Boola Bardip
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