Heritage Festival 2026: Vietnamese Women’s Resilience and Gratitude

The Vietnamese Women’s Oral History project is created by Julie Ly, partnering with the support of the Australian National Maritime Museum and Dr Roland Leikauf for later archiving.

Discover the compelling history, the resilience, sacrifices and gratitude of Vietnamese women from our local Marrickville community and broader Australia. Their stories highlight their integral role in the narrative of Australian migration through the changes of modern history in Vietnam.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Julie Ly

Julie Ly left Vietnam as a teenager, spending two years in a refugee camp with her younger sister, before they were able to join their father and brother in Australia in the late 1980s.

She has a degree in mathematics and over 20 years experience working with early applications of AI in the financial sector, and beyond her corporate career, dedicated time to various humanitarian efforts. She has volunteered with Save the Children, Community and Family Services International under the UNHCR’s humanitarian programs in Hong Kong refugee camps, and in Australia with Mission Australia and NAVITAS’s Home Tutoring Program for new migrants, as well as the Vietnamese Women’s Association in NSW.

Growing up as a Vietnamese boat refugee in NSW, she became deeply interested in giving back in terms of history and humanity, especially efforts that uplift women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

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Host or Publisher Inner West Council Libraries