The Australian Monument to the Great Irish Famine (1845-1848) is located at the Hyde Park Barracks, on Macquarie Street, Sydney, Australia. The monument was inspired by the arrival in Australia of over 4,000 single young women, most of whom were orphans. They arrived under a special emigration scheme designed to resettle destitute girls from the workhouses of Ireland during the Great Famine. The Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee (GIFCC) have broadened their activities to commemorate all who left their homes seeking a new life in the colonies and States of Australia but these workhouse orphan girls and the historical links back to Ireland remain the focus of this project.

This website introduces you to the monument itself, to this particular emigration scheme which operated between 1848 & 1850, to the women themselves and the ships on which they travelled. It is designed to be an motivating and rewarding experience for anyone interested in Irish history and genealogy or in broader issues related to famine, displacement and immigration no matter where in the Irish 'diaspora' you may reside.

This website is in gradually being updated and we gratefully acknowleged the funding assistance of a grant from the Irish Government's Emigrant Support Progremme in 2011.

View the 'Events' page to see details of annual gatherings at the Monument