The completion of Footscray’s Saigon Welcome Arch marks the end of a journey more than 20 years long.
The $1 million arch, at the southern end of Leeds Street, welcomes visitors to Footscray’s Little Saigon and features a pair of fabled Vietnamese Lac birds alongside other motifs, such as a turtle shell, bronze drum and boat.
A big crowd turned out for its opening on Saturday, built as part of a $5.4 million Little Saigon precinct redevelopment that includes a new multi-level parking block with ground floor retail space.
The state government provided $420,000 towards the project, which celebrates the contribution the Vietnamese community has made to Footscray, specifically, and Australia more broadly.
A further $360,000 came from Maribyrnong council, and the remaining $200,000 was raised by the Vietnamese Australian community.
Vietnamese Community Australia Victorian chapter president Viv Nguyen said the welcome arch was a demonstration of the sheer determination and commitment of a community that embraced its chance to escape atrocity and desperation.
“Many of the people in the audience this morning would remember their first day in Australia,” she said. “A T-shirt, a pair of pants, thongs – and an overwhelming feeling of the freedom found in this new country.”
