Two people examine the Welcome Walls in front of the WA Maritime Museum
WA Maritime Museum

Welcome Walls

Migration has played a crucial role in the growth of Western Australia.

The Welcome Walls at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle and the Museum of the Great Southern in Albany celebrate Western Australia’s migrant history. The Walls acknowledge those who arrived by sea, landing at Fremantle and Albany, and made their home in Western Australia.

The Welcome Walls at Fremantle are located adjacent to the WA Maritime Museum at Victoria Quay and consist of more than 400 panels with the details of migrants who entered through the port.

From 2004 to 2010, Western Australians had the opportunity to submit the names of their migrant ancestors to be commemorated on the monuments. While there are no plans to extend the monuments, the WA Museum acknowledges the ways migrants, past and present, continue to enrich Western Australia.

Migration continues to be a research, collection, and interpretation focus and migration stories are featured in the WA Maritime Museum, the Connections Gallery at the WA Museum Boola Bardip, and the Museum of the Great Southern.

You can search the online database to find names inscribed on the Welcome Walls.

Please be aware, this website is no longer being updated. Information about individual migrants and families was uploaded as submitted by relatives during the project and as such, some of it may be incorrect. Additions or corrections to existing entries can now only be done through the comments section on each entry.
 

The WA Maritime Museum Welcome Walls
Image and top image: Some of the Welcome Walls outside the Maritime Museum.
Image: © Kat Wray



Please note: if you are using Google Maps to navigate to the Welcome Walls, you will be taken to the WA Maritime Museum entrance. The Welcome Walls are located outside the entrance, and to the left and right of the building.

Welcome Walls Stage 3 Launch Fremantle 2010

A person in a white polo shirt and wide brimmed hat stands in front of the WA Maritime Museum and holds a book entitled We Came By Sea for the camera
A young child sits on a step to tie their shoelaces while holding two blue balloons
Stainless steel plaque at the Western Australian Museum's Welcome Walls display with green leaves and a blue ribbon.
An individual wearing cultural dress sits in a wicker chair holding paper while another person in a green shirt is visible next to them and out of focus
Rows of individuals stand with the hands crossed in front of them, with the rows stretching back across a large space.
A crowd of people sat in rows on plastic white chairs in a large concreted space next to a big maritime shed with an 'A' on it.
A crowd of people sat in rows on plastic white chairs in a large concreted space and hold their hands up as though waving
An individual in a black suit holds a microphone in one hand and raises the other as though waving while talking with an animated expression
A person wearing a black pinstripe suit sits in a wicker chair and watches something off camera intently
An individual sits on a kerb leaning against a yellow signpost while a crowd of people sat in rows on plastic white chairs in a large concreted space is visible behind them
An individual wearing a red tartan hat is pictured sitting among a crowd of people sat in rows on plastic white chairs in a large concreted space
A crowd of people sat in rows on plastic white chairs in a large concreted space
Several people in variously formal attire interact outside of the Western Australian Maritime Museum.
A large group of people wandering around large metal panels engraved with names
Four individuals interact in front of the Western Australian Maritime Museum.
Four individuals interact in front of the Western Australian Maritime Museum.
A large crowd of people fill a wide open space on a sunny day.
A crowd of people examining names on engraved metal panels.
An internal of a white modern building with a large staircase to the right. A large crowd fills the space.
An internal of a white modern building with a large staircase to the right. A large crowd fills the space.
Several individuals in dark red shirts that read Western Australian Museum Welcome Walls hold a large bunch of vibrant blue balloons in front of a busy event area with white buildings in the background
Several individuals in dark red shirts that read Western Australian Museum Welcome Walls hold a large bunch of vibrant blue balloons in front of the Western Australian Maritime Museum
A crowd of people examining engraved metal walls with names and dates on a sunny day
Two individuals wearing hats read from an engraved metal wall with great interest
A staff member in a dark red uniform with the words Western Australian Museum Welcome Walls points to something off camera while assisting individuals in front of a glass map display
A staff member in a dark red uniform with the words Western Australian Museum Welcome Walls holds open a book while two individuals look on
A wide panoramic photo of the entrance to the Western Australian Maritime Museum with people milling around rows of engraved metal panels.
A hand wearing a bracelet of blue beads points to a name on an engraved glass panel
A crowd of people reading names off of an engraved glass panel
A crowd of people examining engraved names on rows of metal panels on a sunny day
An individual in a blue shirt and straw trilby hat holds a camera up to a metal panel with engraved names.
A crowd of people walking around rows of metal panels with engraved nameson a sunny day
A hand points to a name on an engraved metal panel
A person wearing a wide brimmed hat and checkered shirt sits on a bench and points to an engraved name on a metal panel.
A crowd of people reading names off of an engraved glass panel and taking photographs
Two staff members in dark red uniform shirts with the words Western Australian Museum Welcome Walls face away from the camera and towards a large concrete area with flagpoles on a sunny day
An individual is visible through two engraved glass panels.
An individual taking a photograph is visible through two engraved glass panels.
A close up on a person wearing a brown suit and red tie and speaking into a microphone
A close up on a person wearing a purple shirt and speaking into a microphone
Rowds of individuals seated on white plastic chairs stretch back across a wide open concrete space
Rowds of individuals seated on white plastic chairs stretch back across a wide open concrete space
Four individuals in suits and cultural dress pose for a photograph beside a silver installation in front of the large white Maritime Museum building
A group of people interact outside the large Maritime Museum building on a sunny day.
A group of people interact outside the large Maritime Museum building on a sunny day.
Crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining metal panels with engravings of names.
Crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining glass panels with engravings of names. The ocean is visible in the background.
Two individuals crouch down next to a glass wall with engraved names for a photograph with the Maritime Museum visible in the background
Crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining metal panels with engravings of names.
Crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining metal panels with engravings of names.
A large crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining metal panels with engravings of names.
A large crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining metal panels with engravings of names.
A large crowd gathered in an outdoor quay examining metal panels with engravings of names.
Outdoor event with musicians performing on a stage in front of a Maritime Museum, with a large crowd and flags in the background on a sunny day.
Rows of white chairs and blue portable toilets lined up in a large concrete area with the white curved roof of the Maritime Museum in the background.
A statue of a young boy and girl holding a suitcase with the ocean visible in the background. The statue appears green where it was corroded.
Entrance of the Western Australia Maritime Museum with an informational display on Transport to Western Australia, and floral arrangement in the foreground.
Exterior of the Maritime Museum with glass entrance and flagpoles in front. A series of metal walls engraved with names are visible in the foreground
Several rows of engraved glass panels with the names of people and ships and dates
Four people sit on a stone bench outside of the white Western Australian Maritime Museum building
Several rows of engraved metal panels with the names of people and ships and dates
Several rows of engraved metal and glass panels with quotations and information and an illustration of people standing at a ship's barriers
Rows of white plastic chairs on pavement with the dome-shaped roof of the Maritime Museum in the background.
Rows of white plastic chairs on pavement with the dome-shaped roof of the Maritime Museum in the background.
Statue of a boy and girl holding a suitcase at a harbour with people walking nearby.
People gathered outside the Maritime Museum which has the appearance of a modern building with blue-tinted windows and a curved white structure.
People gathered outside the Maritime Museum which has the appearance of a modern building with blue-tinted windows and a curved white structure.
People gathered outside the Maritime Museum which has the appearance of a modern building with blue-tinted windows and a curved white structure. They read from panels of glass with text on it at the front of the Museum
A harpist with shoulder length auburn hair stairs at sheet music on a black stand with a concentrated expression as they play
A crowd of people sitting in ordered rows with several people holding colourful umbrellas with florals prints
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs. The rows stretch along a large maritime shed
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs with the dome-shaped roof of the Maritime Museum in the background.
A person in a brown suit stands at a wooden lectern on a stage while three individuals seat beside them. A white building with the words Western Australian Maritime Museum is visible in the background
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs with the dome-shaped roof of the Maritime Museum in the background.
A person with curly brown hair and a long purple shirt stands behind a wooden lectern and speaks into a microphone.
A person wearing a brown suit with white hair stands behind a wooden lectern and speaks into a microphone.
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs and all hold up their hands as though waving at the camera
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs and all hold up their hands as though waving at the camera
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs and all hold up their hands as though waving at the camera
A large crowd of people seated in rows on white plastic chairs with the dome-shaped roof of the Maritime Museum in the background. Several patterned umbrellas are visible in the foreground
A person in a suit stands at a wooden lectern on a stage next to two images sat on chairs
Two people in suits shake hands while a person in a bright blue shirt with a peacock, and someone in cultural dress stand by watching. The curved white roof of the Maritime Museum is visible in the background.