Boat People's Horizon

Boats

1788
White (large) First Fleet
Carried convicts from Great Britain to Australia. Arrived at Botany Bay.

1947
Grey (large) The General Heintzelman
First ship that carried displaced persons from war torn Europe to settle in Australia.
Reached WA port of Freemantle, then on the HMAS Kanimbla to Port Melbourne.

1950
Blue (large) The Nelly
Transported refugees from Delmenhorst Displaced Persons’ Camp in Germany to Australia under the Displaced Persons’ Immigration Scheme.

1976
Blue (smallest)
My family and I with many others on a tiny boat leaving Vietnam for Malaysia. The journey was perilous. Surrounding us was just the deep dark sea. We encountered large waves in a storm that could devour our tiny boat, but somehow we managed to escape. After seven days, we sighted land. That was Heaven!

2001
Red MV Tampa (Norwegian Freighter)
Carried rescued Afghans from a distressed fishing vessel in international waters to enter Australian waters.

2001
White (medium)HMAS Manoora
Transported refugees from the Tampa to Nauru as part of Australia’s “Pacific Solution” asylum seeker program.

SIEVs-Suspected Illegal Entry Vessels

These boats carried asylum seekers.

2001
BlackSIEV 4
Involved in the children overboard affairs.

2001
BlackSIEV 10
Sank.

2009
GreySIEV 36
Exploded.

2010
GreySIEV 221
Shipwrecked on cliffs at Christmas Island.

2011
Blue (small)
Boat from Tunisia arriving in Lampedusa, Italy.

2011
White (small)
Another boat at sea somewhere seeking refuge.