Alun Cairns: Patagonia “one of the great stories of migration”
Exhibition to mark 150th anniversary of Welsh settlement in Argentina unveiled
Patagonia 150 Exhibition
Wales Office Minister, Alun Cairns will today visit an exhibition in London marking the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Welsh settlement ‘Y Wladfa’ in Patagonia.
In 1865, a group of around 153 people from across Wales set off from Liverpool on board the tea clipper Mimosa to start a new life in Patagonia.
150 years on, their story is being brought to life through a photographic exhibition by Marcos Zimmerman on display at the Palace of Westminster.
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns said:
The history of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia is one of the great stories of human migration. It is a story of tenacity and fortitude, driven by the desire for a better life and the dream of establishing a new Wales.
In Patagonia today the interest in the Welsh language, Welsh customs and our way of life is stronger than ever. I am delighted to have the opportunity see this important cultural milestone captured in photograph today.