Fifty years after arriving in Darwin as the first Vietnamese refugee by boat, Lam Tac Tam reflects on his journey and life in Australia. On a Sunday 50 years ago, Lam and his older brother Lam Binh sailed into Darwin harbour after 16 days at sea, marking a pivotal moment in Australia's history.
A perilous voyage
Lam Tac Tam and his brother Lam Binh fled Vietnam in 1976, a year after the fall of the Republic of Vietnam. Their father, fearing persecution as a Chinese-Vietnamese business owner, decided the family must escape. Lam, then 20, skippered the family's fishing boat, the Kien Giang, alongside his brother. With no proper map, they relied on a US navy handbook and a school atlas. Rough seas and storms tested them, but they pressed on.
Arrival in Darwin
Upon sighting Darwin, they waited until morning to dock. Lam recalls feeling 70% relief and 30% uncertainty. Local residents were friendly and helpful, providing food and work. Within a week, Lam found construction jobs, working two jobs to build a new life.
Building a new life
Lam initially harboured bitterness towards the communists, but over time his view changed. He became a tourist agent to promote ties between Australia and Vietnam. He married, had two daughters, and now enjoys his grandchildren. He has never left Darwin, living just kilometres from the beach where he first landed.
Legacy and reflection
Lam's arrival was the first of many; over 2,000 boats carried Vietnamese refugees to Australia, and nearly 100,000 came from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam in the following decade. Historian Dr Claire Higgins notes that Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser felt a moral obligation to aid refugees due to Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. However, by the 1980s, attitudes hardened, leading to today's strict asylum policies. Lam reflects on the ongoing need to accept refugees from war-torn countries.
